Catherine has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years. She has been a leader in various coalitions advocating on behalf of homeless New Yorkers and has played a key role in monitoring policy developments and their effects on constituents while advocating for improved policies for and greater access to housing assistance for survivors of domestic violence and homeless families. She was a founding member of United to End Homelessness and a co-author of the Roadmap to Ending Homelessness, a member of the Housing for Vulnerable Families Coalition, a member of the Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Housing Committee for the Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers and Co-Chair of the Domestic Violence and Economic Justice Taskforce.

Most recently she worked at New Destiny Housing Corporation where she directed citywide service programs and helped design and implement the first rapid rehousing program for survivors of domestic violence in New York City. As New Destiny’s HousingLink Director Catherine also designed and led trainings on housing programs available to DV survivors, oversaw the HousingLink HelpLine which provides direct assistance to those experiencing housing crises, designed and maintained HousingLink Online – a web-based resource containing detailed information on housing resources in New York City. Prior to that, Catherine was a Senior Client Advocate at a Safe Horizon emergency shelter, providing case management and crisis intervention services.

Catherine Trapani received her BA from McGill University in sociology specializing in deviance, culture and institutions and graduated with distinction.