Center for human trafficking survivors coming to Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Housing for survivors of human trafficking is coming to Columbus in 2023.

A 52-unit facility called Harriet's Hope — after Harriet Tubman, the African American woman who rescued people from slavery in the 1800s — will be a first for Columbus, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority said in a media release.

CMHA and Beacon 3600 Management raised $15.6 million through eight financial backers, with construction set to be completed in late 2023. The location is not being specified for the safety of the survivors.

“Unfortunately, Ohio is both an origin and source state for human trafficking, with cases representing both sex and labor trafficking and domestic and foreign-born victims of all ages,” CMHA President and CEO Charles Hillman said in the media release.

An Ohio Department of Health report ranked the state fifth in total reported human trafficking cases in 2020, because of highways that link to Canada, New York and Michigan, among other locations.

Harriet's Hope will support each resident's immediate and long-term goals with onsite behavioral, mental, and physical health services to encourage rehabilitation and self-sufficiency.

As a result of the link between substance dependency and human trafficking, Harriet's Hope will operate as a drug and alcohol-free, trauma-informed and victim-centered community designed to provide ongoing recovery support.

Other contributors toward Harriet's Hope include Affordable Housing Trust of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, City of Columbus, Park National Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, the Ohio Legislature, Ohio Capital Impact Corporation, and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.

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