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Urban Resource Institute: media@urinyc.org
The Passage: media@passage.org.uk
Urban Resource Institute and The Passage Unveil Critical Report on The Intersection of Homelessness and Human Trafficking
Urban Resource Institute (URI) and The Passage, in collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), unveil a groundbreaking report, spotlight innovative best practices, and spearhead systemic change to address the intersection of homelessness and human trafficking in New York City.
📸 Featured (L-R): Melissa Paquette, Director of Policy, ENDGBV; Mick Clarke, CEO, The Passage; Jenny Travassos, Director of Housing and Services, The Passage; Saloni Sethi, Commissioner, ENDGBV; Dr. Amanda Eckhardt, Chief Program Officer, Urban Resource Institute
New York City, January 27, 2025 – Urban Resource Institute (URI) and The Passage, in collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), hosted a transformative event today, unveiling the groundbreaking report, The Intersection Between Homelessness and Human Trafficking in New York City. The report represents a collaborative effort to shed light on the complex relationship between homelessness and human trafficking while providing actionable recommendations to enhance shelter responsiveness and improve outcomes for survivors.
The newly released report offers an in-depth analysis of how homelessness and human trafficking intersect, highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by individuals in unstable housing situations and their heightened susceptibility to exploitation. Drawing on insights from both homelessness and anti-trafficking sectors, the report outlines a roadmap to foster collaboration, implement systemic change, and ultimately combat this pressing issue.
Key Findings:
- Inconsistent Support for Trafficking Survivors: Investment in training and data collection practices will ensure better service delivery
- High Vulnerability: Individuals experiencing homelessness are at heightened risk of being targeted by traffickers, with youth, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and undocumented survivors being particularly vulnerable.
- Barriers to Housing: Inadequate shelter space for single adult trafficking survivors is a significant barrier to safety.
- Need for Collaboration: Close partnerships among government, homeless services and trafficking groups would improve service delivery and outcomes for trafficking survivors.
Key Recommendations:
- Enhanced Training: Embed comprehensive human trafficking training in all homelessness sector organizations to improve victim identification and support.
- Improved Data Systems: Include trafficking-specific entries in all case management systems to enable better tracking and analysis.
- Prevention Initiatives: Develop programs targeting those at high risk, including awareness campaigns and resources co-created with survivors.
- Policy Development: Establish a comprehensive human trafficking policy for all adult, youth, and family shelters in New York State.
- Global Collaboration: Strengthen international partnerships to share best practices and support systemic change.
This research highlights the shared mission of URI and The Passage to address the root causes of homelessness, exploitation, and abuse through holistic, trauma-informed approaches. URI, a leading provider of shelter services for survivors of domestic violence and homelessness, brought its extensive expertise in trauma-informed care and innovative shelter programs to the partnership. URI also leveraged its vast network and deep understanding of New York City’s shelter system to ground the report in real-world practices and policy recommendations. The Passage, a UK-based organization with decades of experience tackling homelessness, added a global perspective, drawing on their pioneering work in addressing exploitation among the unhoused.
“The Passage is incredibly grateful to all who gave their time to enable the production of this report, and in particular the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence and the Urban Resource Institute. Human trafficking is a multifaceted problem and no single organization or government can effectively combat it in isolation. Therefore, partnerships are essential. By collaborating across sectors and indeed across nations, we can address this complex issue more comprehensively and ultimately work towards eradicating this crime. In NYC, partnership working is well established and it has been an honour for The Passage to be able to play a small role in this work,” said Mick Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of The Passage.
“Today’s discussions highlight the critical need to address the complex relationship between homelessness and human trafficking. As a leading provider of shelter and support services for homeless families, URI is uniquely positioned to lead this effort. At URI, we are dedicated to ending cycles of violence and homelessness through holistic, trauma-informed, client-centered support. The strategies and priorities identified in today’s discussions lay the groundwork for meaningful action. Together, we are committed to advancing systemic change through collaboration, innovation, and unwavering support for survivors. URI will lead policy advancements and bold service solutions resulting in increased safety, housing security, and economic justice for all survivors,” shared Dr. Amanda Eckhardt, Chief Program Officer at Urban Resource Institute.
ENDGBV’s guidance and facilitation throughout the research process were also invaluable, providing strategic insight and access to key stakeholders to ensure the report captured the nuances of the challenges and opportunities within New York City’s unique context.
“The report and today’s event mark the beginning of a renewed effort to bridge gaps between sectors and amplify our collective impact. By leveraging the insights from this report and the expertise of organizations like URI, The Passage, and others that contributed to this report, we can better address the unique needs of trafficking survivors and ensure a safer, more equitable New York City for all,” said Saloni Sethi, Commissioner of NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence.
The event highlighted the shared commitment of URI, The Passage, and ENDGBV to foster collaboration and inspire innovative solutions. By building on today’s dialogue, the organizations aim to enhance local and global partnerships, share best practices, and drive systemic change to combat homelessness and human trafficking in New York City and beyond.
Read the full report here.
About the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence
The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) develops policies and programs, provides training and prevention education, conducts research and evaluations, and performs community outreach. We collaborate with City agencies and community stakeholders to ensure access to inclusive services for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can include intimate partner and family violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. ENDGBV also operates the New York City Family Justice Centers, co‐located multidisciplinary service centers providing vital social services, civil legal, and criminal justice assistance for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence and their children—all under one roof. For more information, visit nyc.gov/ENDGBV. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
About Urban Resource Institute
Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a pioneering organization that transforms the lives of domestic violence survivors and homeless families by empowering individuals, families, and communities to break free from cycles of domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, and trauma. As the nation’s largest provider of domestic violence shelter services and a leading advocate for homeless services, Urban Resource Institute (URI) supports over 40,000 individuals each year through holistic, trauma-informed programs. These include prevention, intervention, education, and comprehensive services offered across residential and non-residential settings in New York City. URI is recognized as a thought-leader with influence across the U.S. and beyond. For more information, visit www.urinyc.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
About The Passage
The Passage is based in the heart of central London, UK, providing practical support and a wide range of diverse services—including work addressing the intersection between homelessness and human trafficking—to help transform the lives of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Passage was the first organization to identify the intersection between homelessness and human trafficking in the UK. Recognizing that human trafficking is a global issue, The Passage has worked with partners globally over the past 12 months to produce reports in other major cities, including Dublin and now New York City, identifying a link between homelessness and human trafficking.
The purpose of these reports is to encourage dialogue and foster partnerships at local, national, and international levels, with the aim of establishing a global approach to address the interconnection between homelessness and human trafficking. These efforts focus on sharing good practices, supporting and encouraging collaboration, conducting research, and working toward systemic change on this critical issue. Learn more at https://passage.org.uk/.
