The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released a report to assess the availability and accessibility of housing and services for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability who are survivors of trafficking or at risk of being trafficked.
The Housing Needs of Survivors of Human Trafficking Study found that there are significant barriers to accessing and receiving services, including a scarcity of crisis and shelter resources; criminal, credit, and rental histories; and discrimination.
Although many program models and approaches to service provisions exist that are well-suited to addressing the housing needs of survivors of trafficking, they are typically not scaled to meet the need. Beyond increased resources and training, technical assistance is needed to better coordinate across often siloed housing and service providers and to better integrate trafficking-focused providers into the mainstream housing and homelessness systems.
The report draws from intensive stakeholder engagement, coordination, and collaboration, including input from OVC and other federal partners, individuals with lived experience, and service providers. Notably, stakeholder meetings highlighted the importance of increasing flexibility in existing housing programs and reducing the traumatizing impacts of navigating service access.