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The reactions to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson are still rippling across the country. At the end of June, the Court held that arresting a person sleeping outside for lack of housing is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment by the government. Although … Continued

The following is an overview of the recommendations for the housing and homeless systems discussed in the new report from Polaris, On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking. This topic was included in the housing and homelessness chapter of the report. For federal and local governments, private foundations, and … Continued

As a survivor of human trafficking, I know that exiting an abusive situation does not guarantee freedom. Among other burdens, many of us carry criminal records for actions we were forced to commit while trafficked — records that keep us from financial stability and put us at risk for revictimization, even years removed from trafficking. … Continued

A conference on human trafficking changed my life. At the time, I was in ministry, and I knew human trafficking was a real problem. A friend and I found a relevant conference and decided to attend to build our knowledge, skills, and new connections. But something shifted during lunchtime. As the speaker shared, I felt hot tears begin rolling down my face. When my friend asked me what was wrong, I whispered, “They’re telling my story.”

It took me a year and a half to realize that what I’d experienced was labor trafficking. Initially, I kept going through my memories, trying to understand what happened. It was hard to distinguish the lies my trafficker told me from what actually happened. And I was trying to process the psychological trauma of what I went through. 

I didn’t always identify as a survivor of human trafficking. I exited before trafficking was a buzzword. I was in and out of domestic violence shelters in Michigan, who were aware that I was involved in prostitution but didn’t identify it as trafficking. For years, I thought of myself as an ex-prostitute — after all, … Continued

I remember getting out of prison and being barred from employment because of my criminal record. Even though the system claimed to have resources to rehabilitate me, I couldn’t get the help I needed through the police, courts, probation officers, or anyone else. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, terrified that one wrong step would send me back to prison.

It wasn’t until my trafficker abandoned me on the street — eight and half months pregnant — that I finally found the connection that saved my life and transformed my future. After I called 911, the paramedics stabilized me and my unborn baby, and the hospital social worker found a bed for me at a local maternity home for homeless expectant mothers.