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Washington-based groups receive $2.6 million in federal funds to fight human trafficking

U.S. Attorney General William Barr arrives for a panel discussion on combatting human trafficking on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Atlanta. The Department of Justice is distributing nearly $100 million to fight human trafficking nationwide.
Brynn Anderson
/
The Associated Press
U.S. Attorney General William Barr arrives for a panel discussion on combatting human trafficking on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Atlanta. The Department of Justice is distributing nearly $100 million to fight human trafficking nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Justice is giving out nearly $100 million dollars to fight human trafficking nationwide. The recipients include six Washington-based organizations that help trafficking victims. In total, the groups will receive a combined $2.6 million. 

“Human trafficking” is a broad term that covers different forms of exploitation. The YMCA of Greater Seattle plans to use its $500,000 grant to provide housing for young adults, ages 18 to 24, who were sexually exploited as minors.

Scott Schubert is senior director of housing and homeless services for the Y Social Impact Center, the social-service branch of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. He says a majority of youth victims of sex trafficking have been homeless, and some traded sex for necessities of survival.

“So maybe they were runaway youth and then someone said, ‘Well, you can stay here if you do X, Y, and Z,” Schubert said. “And so that’s what we run into quite often, at least in the homeless population.”

The YMCA of Greater Seattle plans to house about 60 young adults over three years. Some will move into apartments or transitional housing. Others will be hosted by local families.

Schubert says a stable place to live will make it easier to get those young adults therapy, education, job training and other services they need.

“That’s why I’m really excited about this particular program, is that I feel like by having and securing housing for these young adults, they will be able to know where they can lay their head every single night,” he said. “That’s one less thing they have to worry about.”

Other recipients of the federal funding include the Lummi Indian Business Council and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, among others.

Will James is a former KNKX reporter and was part of the special projects team, reporting and producing podcasts such as Outsiders and The Walk Home.