On Wed. July 10, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that the city of San Francisco received a $9.3 million dollar grant from the CA Depart. of Social Services to provide housing and services for SF youth who are survivors or at risk of human trafficking. Huckleberry, along with community-based partners, will pilot innovative alternatives for working with commercially sexually exploited youth. The funding will support a Drop-In Center, a state of the art launch pad shelter, residentially-based treatment, family-based foster care, and a 24/7 mobile crisis response team.

“Any young person who is homeless or experiencing exploitation in our streets is one too many. We must do better in San Francisco,” said Mayor Breed. “This funding will allow us to develop programs and provide services that help our most vulnerable residents and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, and prevent chronic homelessness in our City.”

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE FROM MAYOR BREED’S OFFICE 

Huckleberry is one of 11 grant partners who will be providing SAFETY to trafficked youth across the city as part of a collaboration with the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women. Huckleberry’s Executive Director Douglas Styles spoke at today’s press conference and described how our Huckleberry Advocacy & Response Team (HART) will continue to provide 24/7 crisis support to our city’s commercially sexually exploited youth.

“From our pioneering Huckleberry Advocacy and Response Team, we know youth do best when they define safety, healing, and success on their own terms. This grant will allow us to meet youth where they are,” said Douglas Styles, Executive Director of Huckleberry Youth Programs. The Huckleberry Advocacy and Response Team has provided crucial crisis response and case management to commercially sexually exploited youth since 2016.