Trump administration awarding $35 million in grants to help survivors of human trafficking

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration is awarding over $35 million in Justice Department grants to provide safe housing for survivors of human trafficking, AP News reports. An announcement is being made Tuesday at a White House event attended by survivors of human trafficking, organizations that support them, Attorney General William Barr and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, and special adviser.

Provided by the Office for Victims of Crime in the Justice Department, the Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking will be distributed among 73 organizations in 33 states.

According to a White House statement, the grants will provide survivors with housing assistance, including rent and related bills, for between six months to two years. The funding may also go toward helping survivors find permanent housing, occupational training, employment, and counseling.

In a statement, Ivanka Trump said COVID-19 lockdowns have resulted in many survivors being shut-in with those who trafficked them. “The administration has heard these concerns and is responding by awarding leading nonprofit organizations the necessary funding to ensure that survivors have a stable place to live,” the president’s daughter said. During a trip to Atlanta in January, Ivanka Trump had likened trafficking to “modern-day slavery,” AP News reports.

AP News reported that among those organizations which will benefit from the grants are: Camillus House Inc. in Miami, Alternatives for Girls in Detroit, and the Jordan Community Resource Center in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

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