COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new place of hope will soon be home to dozens of human trafficking survivors in Columbus.
Public and private partners announced on Monday the opening of the Harriet's Hope supportive housing community.
"My last data shows us that Columbus is number five in the nation for human trafficking incidents," Beacon 360 Management CEO Celia Kendall said. "This is just not something that we can afford to ignore."
Kendall said her company focuses on developing communities for people who have experienced complex trauma, including human trafficking.
Its location is undisclosed for the safety of the people who will live there.
Harriet's Hope will have 52 apartments for human trafficking survivors. It will provide a range of services, including medical and mental health care, addiction recovery services as well as job skills training.
Most importantly, it will provide stable, affordable housing. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says that's something trafficking victims are not afforded.
"Very frequently you don't have any place to live because your trafficker has made sure that you're dependent for food, shelter and to just get out of the cold," Yost said.
Kendall says human trafficking survivors had a hand in every element of the project's design from the color scheme to the flooring to the cabinetry.
"I know many, many survivors whose paths I've crossed in bringing this community to life, and I'm excited to be able to do this for them, that their voices were able to be heard in this community," Kendall said.
CVS Health invested $10.6 million of the project's $15.6 million cost.
"We know that the first step in improving people's health and well-being is to allow them to have access to quality safe and affordable housing," CVS Health Anti-Human Trafficking Administrator Latasha Brown said.
"For our survivors, having the opportunity to rebuild their lives is something that's much more than merely exiting the life," Yost said.
Harriet's Hope is named in honor of abolitionist Harriet Tubman who helped many escape slavery.