United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces Almost $500,000 In Housing Assistance Grants For Victims Of Human Trafficking

 TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that the Florida Center for Children and Youth, of Tallahassee, Florida, received $499,353 from the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program. Nationally, the Department of Justice awarded nearly $101 million in funding to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.

“I am pleased that the Florida Center for Children and Youth will be able to use this funding to provide housing assistance to victims of human trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to combat these horrendous crimes in Northern Florida, but victims’ struggles do not end when they break free of the criminals who exploit them. With the assistance of these grants, communities throughout our District can continue to provide them with the critical support that they need.”

The Department of Justice announced Monday that the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded over $97.4 million to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country, while the department’s Office of Justice Program’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking. 

The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking Program provides six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.

“Human trafficking is a massive global enterprise with roots in cities and communities here in America and across the world,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is using all the resources at its disposal to help our state, local and tribal partners uncover and eradicate trafficking operations and help victims open the door to a new life.”

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/ovchumantraffickingfactsheet.pdf

More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.