The US Department of Justice last week announced that it was awarding more than $35m to provide housing for victims of human trafficking.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, has awarded $35,104,338 in grant funding to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking, the DoJ said on 4 August.
The grants will go to 73 organisations to provide six 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 grants will also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counselling.
There are many Catholic and Christian organisations among the 73 recipients receiving roughly $500,000 each.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida will receive $494,667.00, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Florida will receive $500,000, Catholic Charities of Louisville Kentucky will receive $443,074.00 and Hookers for Jesus, Nevada will receive $498,764.00.
Attorney General William Barr and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump announced the awards at a White House event attended by human trafficking victims and organisations that serve them.
Barr called human trafficking an “evil scourge,” and he thanked President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka for working to end human trafficking and help survivors. Beyond the financial support, Barr said his department will do everything possible to “investigate, prosecute and punish” traffickers.
Ivanka Trump called human trafficking the “gravest of human rights violations”.
On 30 July, the UN-designated World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, an auxiliary bishop of Washington and the chairman of the US bishops’ conference’s Committee on Migration, said in a statement: “Today we take a moment to pray for all victims and survivors of human trafficking and to reflect upon our responsibilities as individuals and as a Church to make their well-being and protection a priority.”
He went on: “We are renewing our call to educating about human trafficking and proclaiming the value of all human life.”
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