Guilford County is pleased to announce Debra “Debbi” Rabalais as the new Director of Homeless Services. She will serve as a liaison to the Guilford County Continuum of Care and to municipal and community partners as the county advances strategies to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Rabalais brings more than 20 years of experience in housing and homelessness services, along with a strong background in nonprofit program management. Her expertise includes compliance and funding oversight, public-private partnership development, and the design and implementation of housing programs.
“We are excited to welcome Debbi to Guilford County,” said Natalie Craver, Assistant County Manager for Successful People. “Debbi has a strong track record of building effective housing and homelessness programs in partnership with local governments and nonprofits. In this role, she will work closely with county staff, service providers, government, and community stakeholders to ensure homelessness in our community is brief, infrequent, and addressed through trauma-informed approaches.”
Most recently, Rabalais served as Vice President of Program Services at Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth, Texas, where she managed programs that helped more than 11,000 individuals exit homelessness and obtain permanent housing. She previously served as Program Director at SafeHaven of Tarrant County in Arlington, Texas, where she led domestic violence shelter services, including housing, hotline operations, and case management.
“I’m excited to bring my experience to strengthen Guilford County’s commitment to addressing housing instability,” said Rabalais. “I look forward to working with the county staff and the Guilford County Continuum of Care to make data-driven decisions that reduce homelessness countywide.”
Rabalais holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington.
She will begin her new role with Guilford County on Monday, Jan. 12.