Carolyn Turosis, who was sworn in this month as Santa Monica mayor and previously served on the Rent Control Board, told the board Dec. 11 that the city council — now with a renter-rights majority — will work closely with the board on tenant protections.

“We're one of the few jurisdictions in the country that does have a right to counsel program,” Turosis said, adding the city would not implement that program without accompanying flexible cash assistance. She said the council has instructed staff to make a rent registry a top priority and to ensure habitability standards and enforcement across rental units.

Turosis also emphasized action against illegal short-term rentals and cited the council’s ban on algorithmic rental price‑fixing as part of a broader push to protect renters. The mayor framed eviction prevention as both a humanitarian and fiscal priority, saying it is cheaper to keep people housed than to re-house people who become homeless.

Commissioner Ambriz introduced Turosis and recounted Turosis’s service on the board from 2016 to 2022, noting her work on mediation partnerships with Pepperdine School of Law, support for SB 91 during the pandemic, and advocacy for a rent registry for noncontrolled units.

Board members thanked Turosis for attending and said they looked forward to collaborating as the board and city council pursue enforcement and policy steps. The mayor’s remarks were offered as an expression of priorities rather than as formal board direction; the board did not take any formal votes on the items Turosis described.