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Advocate alleges abuse and retaliation at county‑funded shelters during council hearing
Summary
Rabita Moses testified during a public hearing that women in county‑funded shelters face abuse, coercion and retaliation, and she accused county officials and Interfaith Works leadership of silencing advocates; no council response is recorded in the transcript.
Rabita Moses used her allotted time during a public safety hearing to make detailed allegations that women living in publicly funded shelters have been subjected to abuse, coercion and retaliation and that county officials have enabled or failed to investigate those harms.
"My name is Rabita Moses," she told the County Council. Moses said women in publicly funded shelters — many of whom are disabled, elderly, veterans or survivors of domestic violence and trafficking — have been "abused, coerced, retaliated against, intimidated, and denied basic human dignity" and that shelter staff have threatened food deprivation as punishment and used police "as a weapon of fear rather than protection."
Moses accused Interfaith Works leadership and named its executive director, saying county officials met privately with shelter leadership instead of listening to victims and advocates. She also alleged an investigation reported by a county official was unreliable because the official previously worked for Interfaith Works and did not recuse herself.
Moses said she has "video evidence, testimonies and documentation" and described personal retaliation she said followed her advocacy, including eviction filings and denial of disability accommodations. She said county offices, including the office of Landlord Tenant Affairs, had not assisted her and had sided with shelter leadership.
Why it matters: Moses's testimony raises allegations of possible abuse in county‑funded service providers and asserts a breakdown in oversight and accountability. The transcript records no response from Interfaith Works or county staff during the hearing; the allegations in the record are unproven claims that would require investigation and response by responsible agencies.
The speaker had six minutes; the record ends with the council moving on to legislative business and no immediate action or council comment addressing Moses's allegations is recorded in the transcript.
