Safe Housing
The work of healing from a trafficking experience takes time, and it requires a place that provides security and comfort for both physical and emotional healing. Our safe housing program provides long-term transitional housing for women survivors of sex and labor trafficking, as well as trauma-informed care in a community setting.
Housing is arguably the most important service we can provide to a survivor of human trafficking who has exited a trafficking situation. Access to housing can protect against housing instability and homelessness, which increases the risk of a person being trafficked or revictimized.[1],[2]
Without stable housing, it’s nearly impossible for a survivor of trafficking to work or study and to attend the regular physical and mental health appointments necessary to recover. Without an address, it’s challenging to apply for identification and immigration documents. Stable housing is also critical to the success of an investigation and the prosecution of human trafficking.
“Safe housing is that first security blanket after extraction. It’s a very make-or-break point ... at a very vulnerable moment for a survivor! I will forever give LifeWay Network the credit for opening a trauma-informed environment of love and support at my most vulnerable moment. Y’all gave me the support I needed, and I’m eternally grateful.”
— LifeWay safe house resident
LifeWay Network’s Comprehensive Safe Housing
Re-trafficking is a significant risk for survivors exiting from trafficking situations. LifeWay recognizes this is a precarious time for a survivor who may feel overwhelmed and unsure of next steps. To assist survivors during this time, LifeWay offers comprehensive transitional housing providing survivors with safe housing in a supportive community. In a comfortable residential environment in New York City, our comprehensive safe housing offers wrap-around services centered around trauma-informed care, with the goal of graduating residents who lead lives of independence.
New York State Safe Housing Directory
In 2025, LifeWay Network initiated the New York State Directory of Housing Options for Survivors of Human Trafficking. This statewide directory of trauma-informed housing and shelter programs dedicated to serving survivors of human trafficking is intended to provide a valuable resource for survivors, advocates, law enforcement and service providers seeking housing options that support long-term recovery and stability. This guide is updated annually.
Listen to one survivor’s powerful story of trafficking and recovery in “Rising.”
“I love that it felt like I was home. It felt like I was staying at my grandmother’s house. It felt like somewhere I wanted to get comfortable in!”
— LifeWay safe house resident
[1] Warren, E.J., Y.N. Drazen, and M.A. Curtis. 2017. “Public Housing Agency Preferences for the Homeless as a Policy Lever: Examining County-Level Housing Subsidy Receipt and Maltreatment Rates,” Children and Youth Services Review 78:81–88. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6072271/.
[2] Williams, Abigail, and Peace Gwam. 2021. Domestic Violence Survivors Urgently Need Housing Stability and Solutions during the Pandemic. Urban Institute. www.urban.org/urbanwire/domestic-violence-survivors-urgently-need-housing-stability-and-solutions-duringpandemic.