Erin Lambert

Erin Lambert is the COO of YWCA Billings (MT) and has more than 15-years’ experience in the field of domestic and sexual violence advocacy and ten years’ non-profit program management experience. At YWCA, Erin oversees all aspects of financial and grant management from program development, shelter operations, compliance with contracts, budgeting and audits, and all required reporting. She came to YWCA as a volunteer while at university, worked her way up to managing the Gateway Domestic Violence Shelter, then became YWCA’s Director of Programs. In that role she also was a part of YWCA’s development team that conceived and managed the Gateway Vista 24-unit Affordable Housing Apartments, where she currently provides the oversight of that project’s financials and property management. She is a licensed Property Manager.

Erin is passionate about guiding programs to offer trauma-informed, survivor-centered services to victims of domestic and sexual violence. This includes mentoring those on the YWCA Billings team and proving technical assistance and mentoring to other service providers in Billings and throughout Montana. She led the charge to transform the Gateway Shelter from operating with extensive rules for residents to a model with minimal rules to meet best-practice stand of care for domestic violence sheltering. She has provided training for shelter advocates, law enforcement officers, medical residents, social service providers, and community groups.

Her commitment to educating the public and holding offenders accountable for abusive behavior led her to partner with various attorneys to provide expert witness testimony to the courts regarding the dynamics of domestic violence, sexual assault, and counterintuitive victim behaviors. She has been qualified to provide testimony in Billings Municipal Court, Yellowstone County Justice Court, and the 13th Judicial District Court of Montana.

Understanding that housing is critical to survivor safety and independence and the unique needs of those escaping violent homes, Erin earned her Property Manager’s license. She pairs her expertise on working with survivors of violence with her knowledge of Montana Landlord Tenant Law and Fair Housing Law to ensure high-quality management of the Gateway Vista Apartments. She understands the requirements of IRS Section 42 governing Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects and is certified in income qualifying tenants prior to occupancy of LIHTC units.