Most of us take a safe and stable home for granted. People with housing insecurity risk of becoming victims of both sex and/or labor trafficking. The odds that an unhoused person will be trafficked are considerably higher than a person with a secure place to live.
The overlap between homelessness and trafficking is substantial.
68% of youth who reported being trafficked for sex did so while homeless.1
Why are unhoused people at risk of trafficking?
Several factors make unhoused people particularly vulnerable to trafficking, including:
- Economic desperation: The lack of a steady income creates fear that traffickers exploit. Many unhoused people engage in survival sex or dangerous jobs to meet basic needs.
- Lost opportunity gaps: People without a home have a harder time keeping a job or going to school—limiting their ability to change their living situation.
- Lack of support: Traffickers know that when people are isolated from family, friends, and social networks, they’re easier to manipulate.
- Past trauma or mental health issues: Many unhoused individuals have experienced abuse, trauma, and mental health issues that traffickers use to control them.
- Substance abuse: Many people with housing insecurity abuse drugs or alcohol. In many cases, they’re forced to sell drugs for their traffickers.
91% of homeless youth report being approached with lucrative (but fraudulent) work opportunities.2
How can we stop the cycle of homelessness and trafficking?
Until we address the causes of homelessness, like poverty, mental health issues, and lack of affordable housing, trafficking will continue. Through understanding the connection between homelessness and human trafficking, we can create more effective prevention and intervention strategies to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including awareness, housing, treatment, and prevention.
Providing secure, stable housing options for vulnerable populations
Safe housing is critical for recovery. There are several types of housing such as:
- Emergency shelters provide immediate safety from traffickers.
- Transitional housing programs offer longer-term stability for survivors.
- Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) programs that quickly move individuals into permanent housing.
Creating dedicated programs for trafficking survivors
To support survivors, we need trauma-informed care approaches that involve survivors in program design and implementation. For example :
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Job training and employment assistance
- Legal aid services
- Peer-support programs led by survivors.
Working youth at risk of homelessness
Create programs that keep youth off the streets and in stable housing, so vulnerable people avoid homelessness and trafficking altogether.
This holiday season, GIVE THEM HOPE.
Help individuals trapped in trafficking by providing the support they need. OUR Rescue is dedicated to ending sex trafficking and child exploitation, while helping survivors reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey. Together, we can make an impact. Donate today.
- Polaris. “Homelessness as a cause and a consequence of Human Trafficking.” PDF. ↩︎
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center. “Homelessness and Human Trafficking: COVID-19 Creates a More Vulnerable Population. https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/homelessness-and-human-trafficking-covid-19-creates-more-vulnerable-population
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