Next Step Project for Victims of Human Trafficking

The goal of the FY 2020 Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program is to support housing assistance for victims of all forms of human trafficking throughout the United States, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended. Funding through this solicitation supports programs that provide 6 to 24 months of transitional housing with support services to victims of human trafficking who are in need of housing as a result of human trafficking. Funding will be provided over a three-year project period. The Salvation Army’s Next Step Program for Victims of Human Trafficking will revamp and expand its current housing program for victims of human trafficking to address gaps that limit the ability of trafficking victims in Maryland to take steps toward healthy independence. First, The Next Step program will revamp its housing program to move beyond an emergency-only function to focus on supportive transitional housing. Second, it will create a pipeline to independent housing by linking its transitional housing with an independent housing program that provides short-term rental assistance. Third, the Next Step Program will collaborate with survivors, business leaders, and other agencies to build out supportive services focused on employment and financial independence. The Next Step Program is located in Baltimore City, where the majority of trafficking victims are African American. It will serve victims of trafficking from throughout the State of Maryland and the U.S. The target population is adult women who are 18 or older and have experienced either sex trafficking or labor trafficking. The program will be inclusive of women who often find closed doors at other residential anti-trafficking programs, including LGBTQ individuals, transgender individuals who identify as female, pregnant women, mothers with young children, women older than 30, and foreign nationals. CA/NCF