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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2016.07.20 - 22474MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION II 16204 BY: Commissioner Shelley Taub, District #12 and Commissioner Robert Gosselin, District *11; IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS - SUPPORT FOR MEASURES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY SHELTER AND LONG-TERM HOUSING FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS even with the diligent efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, human trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world today, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and WHEREAS the International Labor Organization estimates that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide; and WHEREAS it is estimated by the Polaris Project, a national organization against human trafficking, that the total number of victims in the U.S. reaches into the hundreds of thousands when estimates of both children and adults of sex trafficking and labor trafficking are aggregated; and WHEREAS in a 2014 report, the Urban Institute estimated that the underground sex economy ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado, to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia; and WHEREAS in 2015, the Michigan State Police reported that Michigan is in the top ten states in the nation for human trafficking sex trade; and WHEREAS human trafficking victims suffer a horrible injustice and experience sexual or labor exploitation, physical violence, substance abuse as a control mechanism by their trafficker, mental and emotional abuse and trauma inflicted from trafficking enterprises; and WHEREAS victims require a range of vital long-term services such as: mental health support to help victims overcome the emotional and psychological trauma; medical care to address the physical violence endured as a victim; basic life skills and educational training to build skills from years of capture and control; and WHEREAS Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has identified human trafficking as a serious concern and in 2014, the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission for the prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation of the illegal act of human trafficking was established under the Human Trafficking Commission Act, Act 325; and WHEREAS in January 2015, a majority of the new legislation from the 2014 Human Trafficking Legislative Package took effect to fight against the horrific crimes of human trafficking; and WHEREAS the report from the Michigan Commission on Human Trafficking to Governor Snyder and the Legislature included recommendations to establish more dedicated housing facilities and trauma-formed programming for human trafficking victims as they have nowhere to turn after being rescued from their trafficker; and WHEREAS the Commission's report indicated that local services are lacking in dedicated transitional housing and long-term housing and there are only two housing shelters in Michigan specifically dedicated to trafficking victims; and WHEREAS in recent rescue operations within Wayne and Oakland counties law enforcement officials rescued victims of human trafficking and encountered the reality of non-existing safe houses or residences for victims once liberated from their traffickers; and WHEREAS the deficiencies are a result of significant funding limitations among Michigan-based providers and inappropriate zoning ordinances where offenses of human trafficking are not included among specified offenses like domestic violence, sexual assault, adult foster care, and group homes where funding and services are available to victims of these specific offenses; and WHEREAS current local zoning ordinances are deficient in requirements to allow for residential zoning of safe harbor or transitional housing for human trafficking victims that force applicants requesting rezoning to seek a "special land use" as existing zoning ordinances for adult foster care facilities, group homes, and domestic abuse shelters exclude victims of human trafficking offenses; and WHEREAS recently the communities of White Lake Township and the City of Pontiac denied the rezoning requests of two 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations, Sanctum House and Monarch Wings, to provide long- term (24 months) transitional housing and trauma-informed programs to rescued victims of trafficking in order to support and prepare for a successful transition into society; and WHEREAS State statutes and local ordinances must be reformed to remove the barriers to transitional and long-term housing for victims of human trafficking; and ommissioner q4elley Taub District #12 12.- 4. crr / wr OiRA-kg- a (-k6 Commissioner Ro District #1i osselin WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners recognize the seriousness of human trafficking through their continued support for victims of human trafficking with sponsored educational events and public awareness in Oakland County as well as the creation of the Oakland County Human Trafficking Task Force. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the Governor and members of the State Legislature to recognize the urgency and necessity to protect and provide shelters for victims of human trafficking who are vulnerable and have endured horrific injustice, abuse, and violence at the hands of their captures. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the Governor and the State Legislature to adopt comprehensive reforms to State statutes to address the deficiencies and barriers to establish safe houses, transitional housing and long-term housing for victims of human trafficking as well as impact the restructuring of local zoning ordinances with the communities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that additional State financial support is needed to supplement local community resources to provide human trafficking victims with necessary emergency shelter, programs and services until they can receive placement into long-term housing for recovery programs and services for a successful reentry into society. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Oakland is directed to submit a copy of this resolution to the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Board's legislative lobbyists, the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, and the Oakland County legislative lobbyists. Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution. _ 9/57; Resolution #16204 July 20, 2016 Commissioner Middleton, Acting Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.