The safety net human trafficking survivors need is at risk

OPINION – Survivors of human trafficking are among the most resilient people we’ve ever met. Every day, across California, they are rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of abuse and finding stability after years of trauma. This type of recovery takes time and support. But healing is only possible when there’s a true safety net in place; unfortunately, this safety net too often hangs by a thread.

Since 2016, the Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (HTVAP) has funded life-saving services across the state. Last year alone, it helped nearly 5,000 survivors, more than 2,100 of which were minors and young adults under the age of 25. And 88% were people of color. Without proper funding, these are the Californians we risk leaving behind.

As lawmakers in Sacramento increase their focus on human trafficking, we’re urging those in charge to focus on what really matters: survivor support and real recovery. These individuals have already had their lives hang in the balance, with their needs and desires pushed aside. California cannot and should not perpetuate these abuses by arguing about punishments instead of services. At WEAVE in Sacramento and at Cast in Los Angeles, we’ve spent decades working alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives.

We know what works: steady, long-term support. Survivors need access to safe housing, legal help, mental health care, immigration advocacy, and job training. Not just for a day or a week, but for months and even years. These services are the foundation for healing, but the work is complex. It takes time, dedicated staff, and stable resources – without renewed funding, much of it could disappear.

That’s why we’re urging Governor Newsom and the Legislature to reauthorize $30 million in this year’s state budget to sustain HTVAP and the service providers it supports. This funding, first approved in 2021, is what keeps HTVAP going. Without it, programs will be cut, staff will be laid off, doors will close, and survivors will be turned away, but not because the need has gone away.

As service providers, we’ve seen firsthand what this kind of support can make possible. In 2018, we met Kim*, a woman who had been married to her trafficker for ten years and had two young children. Her trafficker was in prison, but Kim was also on parole after pleading guilty to a crime she was pressured into committing. Her criminal record had destroyed her career prospects. She had no income, no housing, and no way to reunite with her children.

She spent the next two years working to rebuild her life, beginning with filing for divorce and taking steps to reunite with her children. Later, she worked with a partner agency in San Diego to clear her criminal record – a process that took four more years and just concluded this spring. From start to finish, Kim’s case took seven years. Support like that doesn’t happen without consistent, coordinated funding. HTVAP made it possible.

And Kim is just one of thousands. Across our organizations, we see the same pattern play out over and over again. These services are not extras – they are essential. Without HTVAP, this safety net unravels. Service providers and their programs will shrink, leaving survivors vulnerable to the vicious cycle of human trafficking.

This safety net that we’ve built is fragile, but it works. And if we let this funding lapse, we’re not just walking away from services. We’re walking away from survivors. We urge California’s leaders to reauthorize $30 million for HTVAP. It’s not just a line item in a budget – it’s a lifeline.

*Names changed to protect privacy.

Kay Buck is the Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast), a Los Angeles-based service provider dedicated to ending human trafficking.

 Beth Hassett is the Chief Executive Officer of WEAVE, Inc., a Sacramento-based nonprofit that supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.