A woman staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission and Ministries (DRMM) women and children’s shelter says she and her young daughter were asked to leave the facility shortly after she raised concerns about safety conditions during a media interview, an allegation the shelter strongly denies.
Natasha Slater, who had been living at the shelter, went on the record this week after initially speaking anonymously to Local 4’s Click On Detroit. In her interview, Slater said she felt compelled to speak up on behalf of other mothers at the shelter.
“I was just trying to step up for us as mothers because at the end of the day, we still human beings, we still have feelings,” Slater said.
Safety Concerns Raised
In her initial interview aired Saturday, Slater raised concerns that men were living inside the women and children’s shelter and that shared bathrooms did not have locks, which made her feel unsafe.
Local 4 later visited the shelter and questioned DRMM CEO Dr. Chad Audi, who confirmed that the facility is primarily for women and children but said men are allowed if they are married and staying with their families. According to Audi, the number of men at the shelter has never exceeded five at one time.
Shelter staff also explained that bathroom doors are not locked due to child safety concerns, a policy that has drawn criticism from some residents.
Asked to Leave or Offered Options?
After the story aired, Slater said she feared staff could identify her as the source of the interview. She was later called into a meeting with shelter leadership on Tuesday, during which she recorded part of the conversation.
In the recording, a staff member is heard saying people were “scared” because of the news coverage and that staff felt their jobs were at risk. Slater says she was then told she needed to leave the shelter by noon that day.
Alarmed, Slater contacted a friend who called police. She says that after officers arrived, the shelter’s position changed.
According to Slater, staff then told police she could either move to another room within the same shelter or transfer to another DRMM location, options she says were not initially presented to her.
“They changed it as soon as the police came,” Slater said. “Before that, they were telling me I had to be out by noon.”
Shelter Responds
In a detailed statement, Detroit Rescue Mission and Ministries denied that Slater was ever asked or pressured to leave because of media involvement.
The shelter said Slater herself raised concerns about her room arrangement and was immediately offered two options: relocation to a room without a shared bathroom or transfer to another DRMM shelter. DRMM maintains that Slater chose to move rooms and that her concerns were accommodated.
The organization also said Slater later chose on her own to move to another nonprofit, Detroit Power Detroit Community Outreach, which provides longer-term transitional housing.
“Any suggestion that DRMM retaliated against a resident due to media involvement is inaccurate,” the statement read. “Our actions were guided solely by resident dignity, safety, and appropriate program placement.”
A New Start
Despite the dispute, Slater said she ultimately left the shelter because she no longer felt safe. On Wednesday morning, she secured housing through Detroit Power, moving out a few hours later.
“I’m just happy,” she said. “I’m just happy to be in a better environment. It’s a relief for me and my baby.”
The situation has sparked renewed discussion around safety standards, transparency, and accountability in emergency shelters, particularly those serving vulnerable women and children.
