From Rescue to Renewal: Building a National Network of Safe Houses for Trafficking Survivors

Human trafficking survivors face one of the hardest transitions imaginable—from exploitation and trauma to rebuilding lives of safety and independence. Survivor safe houses and restorative care programs play a vital role in this journey, providing the essential bridge between crisis intervention and long-term recovery. While emergency shelters meet immediate safety needs, long-term restorative care homes, such as those operated by Free Forever–Latisha’s House Foundation, focus on trauma-informed healing, education, and life skills development that restore dignity and self-sufficiency. Yet across the United States, these programs operate without consistent funding or a national framework to ensure every survivor receives comprehensive support. To truly break the cycle of trafficking, the nation must invest not only in rescue but also in reintegration.

One of the greatest challenges facing survivor care programs is the lack of sustainable funding. Most restorative care homes rely heavily on private donations and small grants, which leads to instability and limits capacity. Without federal or state-level funding mechanisms, too many women are turned away due to limited resources. Compounding this problem is the fragmented system of care that exists between law enforcement, rescues, emergency shelters, and long-term rehabilitation. Many survivors are referred to shelters unprepared to meet their complex needs, leaving them vulnerable to retrafficking or homelessness. Furthermore, there are significant data and workforce gaps. Few programs collect measurable reintegration outcomes or track long-term success, hindering evidence-based policymaking and limiting recognition of best practices that could guide the broader system.

To address these challenges, the United States must establish dedicated federal and state funding streams specifically for long-term restorative care. A national program housed under the Department of Justice or the Department of Health and Human Services would provide stable resources to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all regions. Free Forever–Latisha’s House Foundation provides a powerful example of what such investment can achieve—it has served more than 2,000 women since 2013, helping survivors reintegrate successfully despite operating solely on private funding. Alongside funding, a national framework for survivor reintegration should be developed, setting clear standards for trauma-informed care, education, and job readiness. Programs such as The Freedom Project demonstrate the effectiveness of integrated approaches that combine counseling, housing, and life skills training to help women achieve sustainable independence.

Robust data collection must also become a national priority. By partnering with restorative care homes to track outcomes like employment, housing stability, and educational advancement, policymakers can make informed decisions and replicate what works. Reliable data would strengthen the justification for funding and allow for the creation of nationwide reintegration benchmarks. Congress should act to pass legislation establishing dedicated funding for restorative care and directing the Office for Victims of Crime to prioritize these models in funding allocations. Partnerships between housing authorities and restorative care providers should also be encouraged to expand access to transitional housing, job readiness programs, and long-term support systems that empower survivors to rebuild their lives.

Now is the time to act. The rise in trafficking cases—driven by digital exploitation and post-pandemic vulnerabilities—demands scalable, trauma-informed solutions. Fewer than 100 long-term care homes exist nationwide, and recidivism rates remain alarmingly high among survivors discharged from short-term shelters without adequate rehabilitation. Survivor safe houses are not acts of charity; they are the foundation of true justice. When survivors receive comprehensive, restorative care, they regain their dignity, rebuild their confidence, and become empowered contributors to their communities. By investing in survivor rehabilitation, research, and reintegration frameworks, America can move from temporary rescue to lasting recovery—breaking the cycle of exploitation once and for all.