FRANKFORT, Ky. (December 10, 2021) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron today announced that his office was awarded a $600,000 federal grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop a transitional and short-term housing-assistance program for survivors of human trafficking.
The Attorney General’s Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and Prosecution (TAPP) will develop the program in partnership with Refuge for Women, a nonprofit recovery program for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The program will assist human trafficking survivors in Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle, and Whitley Counties.
“We must do everything we can to not only end human trafficking but to support trafficking victims, and this $600,000 grant will allow us to provide safe and stable housing services in an underserved region of our Commonwealth,” said Attorney General Cameron. “We know that there is a great need for these services and that they are essential to assisting survivors in their healing and long-term recovery. Refuge for Women’s care model is recognized nationally, and we are proud to partner with them to develop this program. We also appreciate the support of Congressman Rogers and Congressman Barr.”
"Refuge for Women is excited to learn about the news of funding from the federal government to help victims of sex trafficking in the state of Kentucky,” said Ked Frank, President of Refuge for Women. “We are excited to continue our work with the Attorney General's office to help more people in need.”
The housing-assistance program will offer survivors the option to participate in a communal-site, transitional-housing program in Garrard County or a short-term housing-assistance program. Both options will include case-management support from professionals within the Refuge for Women organization and assistance from community survivors.
“The inhumane practice of sex trafficking must be stopped in Kentucky, and we also need a place of refuge for the victims of these terrible crimes. It is heartbreaking to know that the latest data ranks Kentucky ninth in the country for new cases of criminal human trafficking,” said Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05). “I’m grateful for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s determination to crack down on this problem, and for utilizing this DOJ grant to ensure victims have a safe place to rehabilitate. It’s always an honor to protect funding for these crucial federal grants that benefit the people of southern and eastern Kentucky.”
“The partnership between the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and Refuge for Women will help survivors of human trafficking recover,” said Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06). “I proudly supported Refuge for Women through a letter of support to the Department of Justice and voted for the funds used for this grant.”
Participants in the program will be identified through self-referrals or referrals from prosecutors, law enforcement, and victims’ advocates. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Human Trafficking Program. The program is dedicated to victim-centered responses to human trafficking.
This is the second federal grant Attorney General Cameron’s office has received from the Department of Justice to address human trafficking in the Commonwealth. In 2020, the Office received a grant to develop a human trafficking awareness campaign in the Commonwealth. The resulting “Your Eyes Save Lives” campaign was launched in January 2021 and encourages Kentuckians to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report it to law enforcement.
For more information about Attorney General Cameron’s work to end human trafficking in Kentucky, click here.