On-Site Abuse Closes Women's Shelter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local women's shelter evicted seven women and six children because its director said some residents threatened and battered staff members and caused roughly $10,000 damage.

Management walked KDKA through the Allie-Kiski Hope Center, an emergency women's shelter, where the women were evicted last night. The women, who are domestic violence victims, had become hostile and violent over the last several days, according to management, not only to each other but also towards management.

We did have staff clean, but the blinds were all ripped down," said Erin Gillette, Coordinator of Resident Services. "We found urine on the floor. There was food, glass broken, light bulbs shattered. They basically said, they hope the place burns down and we found a lit cigarette in bathroom next to the shower curtain."

Staff spent hours on the clean up yesterday. Michelle Bond, the Executive Director of the shelter, says it was a heartbreaking decision to evict the women, along with their seven children, but it was becoming too dangerous a situation.

Bond paraphrased what one of the women had said, threatening another resident and a staff member, "Not to sleep, or to sleep with one eye open because she was going to cut her throat and kill her."

The residents spoke with KDKA last night. They called what was going on "petty arguments" and feared for their safety following the eviction.

One resident said, "I'm like beside myself. I'm scared to death, I don't know what to do."

Another angry at the eviction, saying, "How can you just throw people out like this. There's women and children, babies. People have PFA orders. People are in danger."

The women told KDKA that they planned to contact the ACLU Wednesday, promising to seek legal action. The ACLU is not permitted to comment on whether they had been contacted by the women or not, but says that it is most likely not an issue they would pursue, given that the shelter is a non-profit organization.

The shelter is not closing and plans to take in new residents as early as Wednesday.

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