Transitional housing assistance for victims of human trafficking in Los Angeles

Options for safe, affordable permanent housing is Los Angeles are limited and many shelters and transitional housing programs either do not accept human trafficking survivors or cannot meet their specialized needs e.g. homeless shelters with restrictive practices. Cast’s Transitional Housing Program, ‘Mariposa Haven’, opened in 2003, is currently the only provider of housing exclusively for female-identified victims of all forms human trafficking in LA County, with no limitations on nationality or age cap. Mariposa Haven provides 24/7 transitional housing for female-identifying adults victims of human trafficking for up to 24 months, with the average stay historically being 18 months. Under the OVC FY 2021 Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking grant, Cast will provide dedicated transitional housing for 12 adult female victims of human trafficking in LA County. Cast will also provide trauma-informed support services to these residents including intensive case management, counselling, 90 wellness and psycho-education workshops, 60 life skills workshops, 36 ‘house’ meetings, and 48 cultural and social meetings a year. Residents will also be offered follow-up support from their case manager for six months after they move on to permanent housing to ensure they feel safe and to increase their independence. Cast will also refer the 12 residents to over 1,000 service providers across LA County for a wide array of specialized services to meet their comprehensive needs including mental health services, job training, substance abuse treatment, mentoring, life skills, and education. Finally, Cast will collaborate with and train at least nine local partners to ensure trafficking victims are properly identified and referred for appropriate housing and services.