A longtime renter protection advocate who experienced homelessness in her youth will now have the opportunity to shape the conversation of renter’s rights in her community.
At the June 13 meeting of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, Kay Ambriz was unanimously selected to serve on the board, taking the position previously filled by Lonnie Guinn before his resignation in April. Ambriz was appointed to the vacant seat, and will serve through the November 2024 municipal election where she intends to earn a full four-year term.
Ambriz has been incredibly active in the Santa Monica renters community, having been a member of the Santa Monica for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) Steering Committee and also working on the SMRR hotline assisting callers with various issues. Those roles, she noted in her board application, made renter education her "top issue" and reason for applying.
"As I have seen firsthand as a SMRR hotliner, many residents are ill-informed about their rights," Ambriz wrote. "I plan to address this issue by being as knowledgeable about the law myself and educating the public wherever possible via in-person workshops, Zoom meetings, neighborhood association meetings [and] various club meetings."
Along with her SMRR contributions, Ambriz’s first hand experience with rental issues has gone deep, as she experienced homelessness in her youth due to familial issues. During high school, Ambriz’s mother was able to receive Section 8 housing, a circumstance she "was very aware and appreciative of."
"Without rent control, I would have been priced out of Santa Monica years ago," Ambriz added. "I know many other city residents share this experience. Now, I would like to use my lived experience and education to help others by serving on the Rent Control Board."
Politically, Ambriz has supported a wide range of local campaigns for pro-housing ballot measures, such as Measures GS, RC and EM. She was also appointed by Santa Monica City Council in 2019 to serve on the Social Services Commission (now the Human Services Commission), working in the role for three years.
The same support she received from Council during that time was given by the existing Rent Control Board members, who unanimously supported the candidate during candidate discussion. Board Chair Ericka Lesley stated that she’s "throwing her hat in" for Ambriz due to her dedication and also having "compassion for our tenants and also our landlords." Lesley added that prospective candidates should "stay in the clear middle" of rent issues, an impartiality Ambriz stated was a result of her law background, attending Hastings Law School with a housing rights issue focus.
"I’m dedicated to fostering open communication between tenants, landlords and policymakers to ensure that the needs and concerns of all stakeholders are taken into account," Ambriz told the board prior to her selection.
Ambriz also received endorsements from City Councilmember Caroline Torosis and former Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich, making her a standout candidate. Along with Ambriz, residents Phillis Dudick and Thomas Touzin also threw their name out for the position, something Board Vice-Chair Kurt Gonska was appreciative of.
"It’s really great to see so many members of the community who are passionate about this and want to become involved and want to give back to the community, and obviously are very knowledgeable about our role here and our mission here … to the other [candidates], I hope you’ll stay involved," Gonska said.
November’s election will be for two open seats, the seat Ambriz now holds as well as the seat of Anastasia Foster, who announced she will be running for an open seat on the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees. Dudick announced her intention to run for the open seats during the June 13 meeting.
