Our Safe Housing project sees CHASTE working with all denominations to build safe housing capacity in response to the clearly indicated need for immediate safety and space to think forward options without pressure for those escaping from the enslavement of sex trafficking in United Kingdom cities.
Through the inspiration of the CHASTE Round Table on Housing the Salvation Army and the Roman Catholic religious orders it has been possible to open three safe houses. General enquiries about these projects should be made to CHASTE.
The need for safe housing is in many ways identical to that which is basic to helping women suffering from domestic violence to escape from their abuse. The most essential element for starting to put your life back together and begin to think about some alternative options for the future is to have a place of safety where you can regroup.
Only when a person is in a place away from the trauma, abuse, grievous bodily harm, and monetarily sanitised rape, can she start to consider her future and regain a degree of power over her multipally derailed life.
The churches have a track record going back to Christ of providing spaces where women who have found themselves at the bottom of the rung can receive full divine attention and be set free. Escape from this vicious trade is not simple, and takes the concerted efforts of everyone who has to do with the young women and men who are caught in this disgraceful trade to build sanctuary and a place to regroup.
If you or your church would like to know more about the CHASTE Round Table on Housing, or be able to contribute financially towards its realisation please be in contact with contact@chaste.org.uk
CHASTE is currently working at the level of practical response for those who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation through:
- The provision of safe housing
- Psycho-spiritual support when requested by those trafficked into prostitution, working with the known religious routes of confession, blessing, absolution, personal protection, intercession for threatened family members and the opening up of new futures
- Provision of social, health, translation and legal representation through the statutory and voluntary sectors. Our Time for Arrest Campaign seeks to persuade the Government to sign the European Convention against Trafficking. This Convention would enable support to be given to survivors of trafficking. To find out more about our work in this area explore our CHASTE lobbying pages.
CHASTE need funds to further the innovative work of developing safe housing capacity, which is urgently required to enable women to escape from the traffickers' control, through the powerful intervention of congregational participation across the denominations. CHASTE is working particularly closely with the religious congregations and denominational intitiatives to release housing into this work.
CHASTE is also working to provide provision of safe housing and support in countries of source. In particular CHASTE wishes to develop its work in Albania, Romania and Nigeria. We are currently working with Churches in these countries through all denominations wishing to help.
Please be in contact with CHASTE if you are able to respond in some way to the provision of housing or funds for our critically important work. There is a need for £250,000 per 5 bed house to be released into the national provision of safety and care. Currently the Home Office provides 27 safe bed spaces through the Poppy Project with ten step down places with field work support for those moving on in their recovery. Members of the CHASTE Round Table on Housing will match the Government Safe house fully funded provision by the end of 2007. Will you help us in the development of this safe housing and looking for ways in which recovery can be provided both in this country and in country of return if women are not given citizenship in the UK?
CHASTE is developing in consultation with Safe House providers through the CHASTE Round Table safety protocols and best practice guidance for working with survivors of sex trafficking. If you have best practice you can share, or wish to be part of this process please contact us.