Ywca kalamazoo's rapid rehousing for underserved survivors of human trafficking project will address unmet needs of human trafficking survivors as they seek immediate safety and affordable permanent…

The YWCA of Kalamazoo, Michigan will provide rapid rehousing and housing navigation services for survivors of human trafficking through a $800,000 Project Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime. Funded under the Services for Victims of Trafficking program (CFDA 16.320), the YWCA will deliver several housing options from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025 to meet the immediate safety and affordable permanent housing needs of human trafficking survivors in Southwest Michigan. This includes emergency housing, transitional housing for up to two years, and short-term housing assistance to support survivors in obtaining permanent housing. Additionally, the YWCA will hire a housing navigator to build the capacity of partner organizations statewide to deliver and expand housing options for underserved populations such as labor trafficking survivors, those experiencing chronic homelessness, and groups facing historical discrimination in housing. Services are available to all gender trafficking survivors and their non-offending family members residing or relocated to Southwest Michigan for safety.

Ywca kalamazoo's rapid rehousing for underserved survivors of human trafficking project will address unmet needs of human trafficking survivors as they seek immediate safety and affordable permanent housing. Through this project, ywca will provide several housing options to meet survivors where they are with the goal of rapid rehousing through a housing first model, including immediate emergency housing, transitional housing for up to two years, and/or short-term housing assistance to support survivors in realizing permanent housing. This project will specifically build the capacity of partner organizations throughout the state of michigan to deliver and expand housing options for labor trafficking survivors and chronically homeless survivors (persons homeless for two or more years), and populations who have historically been excluded from safe housing, critical services, and lifelines to safety due to redlining and other discriminatory housing practices through the hiring of a housing navigator. Services will be available to survivors of SEX and labor trafficking of all gender identities and their non-offending immediate family members who reside in southwest michigan or who have been relocated to southwest michigan for their safety.