U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida issued the following announcement on Aug. 4.
U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that the Middle District of Florida received $998,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a barbaric criminal enterprise that subjects its victims to unspeakable cruelty and deprives them of the most basic of human needs, none more essential than a safe place to live,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Throughout this Administration, the Department of Justice has fought aggressively to bring human traffickers to justice and to deliver critical aid to trafficking survivors. These new resources, announced , expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life.”
“Our Office is committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those who commit these heinous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “We are equally determined to the rescue, recovery, and assistance of those who have been traumatized by these unspeakable experiences. The awards announced will provide our partners with much needed resources that will place trafficking victims on the road to restoration and hope.
The grant, awarded to the United Way of Pasco County, Inc. and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. will provide 6 to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. The above grant recipients are among 73 organizations receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.
“Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”
Human trafficking offenses are among the most difficult crimes to identify, and the scope of human trafficking victimization may be much greater than the limited data reflect. A new report issued by the National Institute of Justice, another component of the Office of Justice Programs, found that the number of human trafficking cases captured in police reports may represent only a fraction of all such cases. Expanding housing and other services to trafficking victims remains a top Justice Department priority.
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