Moriah went to law school planning to become a public defender, but an internship at the Legal Aid Justice Center — working closely with Brenda Castañeda, now HOME's Director for Advocacy and a mentor to Moriah — inspired a new direction.

She grew inspired by the chance to help people "at the front end," changing the systems and practices that create housing instability in the first place. A competitive Skadden Fellowship let her build her own project in Charlottesville, pairing eviction defense with zoning advocacy alongside public housing residents.

Why housing? For Moriah, it's foundational — "the central hub of life," she says. "Stabilizing housing will change people's lives."

Moriah could have chosen higher-profile, higher-paying work. She chose civil rights: "I'm passionate about people,” she says, "and I don't want to perpetuate harm." Today she pursues "systemic work to avoid discrimination from the outset," recently writing HOME's comments to HUD arguing against federal rule changes that would imperil housing security nationwide.

Representation matters in this work, Moriah notes: only 5% of U.S. attorneys are Black. "I rarely face opposing counsel who looks like me." And she believes it matters for clients "to see a Black, queer woman as their advocate."

She felt that power recently with Dana Wyatt, a grandmother who came to HOME struggling to find a landlord who would accept her housing voucher.

As our counselors worked with Ms. Wyatt to find a safe, stable home, Moriah led the legal team that investigated landlords who turned her away — and filed a complaint against one with the Virginia Fair Housing Office. This led to a settlement.

The negotiations were tense: Ms. Wyatt sat across from a white lawyer and property manager who, Moriah recalls, used "racially coded language." Because Moriah was in the room, she could offer "comfort, encouragement, affirmation, validation." She knows that the settlement for Ms. Wyatt "will change the trajectory of her life."

It's work like this, Moriah says, that "keeps me encouraged, keeps me grounded."