RENT - Restorative Environment for a New Transition

Healing Action will offer housing and supportive services through RENT (Restorative Environment for a New Transition): Increased Access to Transitional Housing and Short-Term Housing Assistance for Human Trafficking Victims. RENT will expand the range and enhance the quality of services for human trafficking survivors in the St. Louis Bi-state Metropolitan Area (including St. Louis, MO, and East St. Louis, IL, and their adjoining counties), focusing specifically on those at high risk of homelessness due to their exploitation and victimization. RENT will provide six to 24 months of low-barrier housing assistance (including scatter site housing options in apartment buildings and neighborhoods that meet participant needs for comfort and safety) and voluntary long-term trauma-informed support services to approximately 30 survivors to help prevent re-victimization. Available Healing Action support services (targeted to individual levels of need) include therapy services from masters-level psychotherapists, intensive case management with links to a wide range of community services and resources, peer support groups and one-on-one coaching from Certified Peer Specialists and access to our Drop-In Center, where they will have access to laundry services, a clothing boutique, and social connectedness with other Healing Action clients. Case management services will include supported referrals to community partners for essential services like substance use treatment, legal assistance, health care, and resources to meet basic needs for transportation, food, utilities, and other necessities (including support in accessing public benefits like SNAP, Medicare, and TANF). In addition, Healing Action will increase awareness in the region and across Missouri by providing training to increase proper identification and referrals for appropriate housing and services. Project products and deliverables include 1) process and outcome data to document the provision of housing and other services and to evaluate the extent to which RENT meets its stated goals and objectives and 2) improved survivor outcomes related to safety, social connectedness, well-being, and self-sufficiency, leading to the prevention of further victimization.