Short-Term Housing Assistance for Human Trafficking Survivors: A Path to Permanent Housing

The goal of the FY 2020 Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program is to support housing assistance for victims of all forms of human trafficking throughout the United States, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended. Funding through this solicitation supports programs that provide 6 to 24 months of transitional housing with support services to victims of human trafficking who are in need of housing as a result of human trafficking. Funding will be provided over a three-year project period. The University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors (SAFE Center) will partner with the Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Health and Human Services (Montgomery County DHHS) to provide short-term housing assistance in a rapid re-housing model to survivors of sex and labor trafficking in Maryland and the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region, focusing on Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Under this program, Montgomery County DHHS and the SAFE Center will assess client eligibility for the housing program. Rapid Re-Housing is an intervention designed to help individuals and families to quickly exit homelessness, return to housing in the community, and stabilize to avoid returning to homelessness. The intervention includes housing location, rental assistance, and supportive services. Montgomery County DHHS will assist the client with financial eligibility determination, vendor and housing documentation verification, and payment supports. The SAFE Center will assist each client with voluntary, comprehensive wrap-around services. Rapid re-housing has been shown to be successful in helping people permanently exit homelessness. Over the three-year grant period, we aim to enroll nine SAFE Center-referred individual human trafficking survivors and six human trafficking survivors with families, for a total of 15 primary clients. CA/NCF