It was the only place in Canada where human trafficking survivors could get an array of critical services—on July 2, it burned to the ground

Life can be cruel. 

Survivors of human sex trafficking—or modern day slavery—know this better than most. 

This monstrous crime causes incredibly complex trauma as victims and survivors often feel like they are in love with the person perpetrating the harm against them. It can involve gang violence, assaults, addiction, and sexual violence. It creates a need for a tremendous amount of support if the survivor is able to escape their trafficker. 

In all of Canada, there is one organization offering these survivors assistance with all of these needs in one place. It’s a place that is survivor-led, has culturally competent staff trained to deal with their unique needs; and where these survivors can stay long term and be provided the assistance they need to rebuild their lives. 

That place is SafeHope Home in Durham Region. 

On July 2, it was completely destroyed by a fire. 

There were three survivors and one staff member in the house at the time. All of them were able to get out safely.

Along with the house, the fire consumed the few possessions the survivors were able to salvage after fleeing their traffickers.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but investigators have said it does not appear suspicious.

In the weeks since, Jasmine De Fina, the executive director of SafeHope Home, has been working tirelessly to limit the disruption to the survivors in the program and get a new location up and running. 

The community and fellow advocacy organizations have been quick to jump in to assist her. 

The cause of the fire that destroyed SafeHope Home’s house for human trafficking survivors remains unknown.

(SafeHope Home)

Immediately following the fire, the landlord offered to house the survivors at a retreat for a couple weeks. Following that, a kind donor offered a cottage stay in Muskoka for a week. 

That provided De Fina enough time to secure a temporary location with enough space for five survivors, and she was able to furnish it with donated funds. 

“It’s been amazing,” she tells The Pointer, noting this temporary location could become a permanent fixture for the organization moving forward. “We’re probably going to keep this temporary location for the second stage of our programming, so it actually probably helped to expand our service offering to women.”

That second stage would provide services for survivors who have reached a stable place in their recovery, and could be either attending school or working. 

The replacement location for the first stage provides immediate assistance for survivors with a wide array of needs.

The fire has underscored just how lacking these types of services are across Canada. 

“There is nothing else like SafeHope Home,” she says. “There are maybe six human trafficking specialized residential programs in all of Canada.”

This creates significant issues for those in high-risk areas, or who belong to vulnerable demographics like LGBTQ+ individuals and Indigenous women and girls, who represent around half of human trafficking victims in Canada, while only making up 5 percent of the overall population. 

Studies have found that without secure housing, many trafficking victims either have to choose between staying with their trafficker (who often provides food and a roof over their head, along with drugs if they are battling addiction) and homelessness. 

Both the provincial and federal governments are well aware of this dire need. 

According to data from the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, the national Human Trafficking Hotline received 3,059 signals related to human trafficking between 2019 and 2022—65 percent of them from Ontario. Shelter and housing supports were the most requested referrals in the province as well as across Canada.

“Unfortunately, Hotline staff regularly find it difficult to connect survivors with immediate, short, and long-term housing options due to gaps in policy and programming,” a pre-budget submission sent to the provincial government from the Canadian Centre in 2023 reads.

A similar finding was made as part of a consultation with survivors carried out by the Department of Justice Canada in 2023.

The majority of participants indicated that “a key support that is of short supply and difficult to access is safe and secure housing, not shelters,” the report reads. “When asked about what supports would have been helpful, but were not available, the response most frequently provided, by a quarter of participants, was better access to and an increased amount of secure housing.”

A consultation with human trafficking survivors found it takes many attempts for victims to escape their trafficker. Many return due to the lack of available services or having to choose between trafficking and homelessness, emphasizing the need for a safe, reliable support system.

(Department of Justice Canada)

The Government of Canada is currently in the midst of updating its national anti-human trafficking strategy. The previous version expired at the end of 2024. While advocates demanded increased transparency around the updated version, it remains unclear when it may be released.

De Fina says SafeHope Home and many other advocacy organizations have been pushing for the expansion of dedicated housing services for human trafficking survivors.

“We’re the only ones that take the higher needs case type in the entire country, and we’re the only ones in the entire country that support women up to seven years and over the age of 26,” she said. “We’re in dire need of more programming…Everybody has echoed that we need more specialized housing. So not just shelter beds, but specialized housing and treatment programs for survivors.”

If anyone needed any clearer sign of the desperate need:

“The day of the fire and the day after the fire, we were still getting referrals…we always have a wait list," De Fina says.

Following the fire, the outpouring of support has been heartwarming, De Fina says. Significant donations from groups like York Regional Police, Clearway Construction, Greenshield, Ontario Native Women’s Association and Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services have pushed SafeHope Home closer to securing a new location. 

The Ministry of Community Safety and Social Services has also increased the organization's funding by $35,000 annually for the next three years. While welcome, this is well below the $1.5 million figure SafeHope Home had previously requested. The funds will go toward supporting the day programs and other support services. The housing provided by SafeHope Home is entirely funded by donations. 

After weeks of searching, a new location has been found, De Fina says. The offer and mortgage have both been approved, but now $150,000 is needed in order to secure and renovate the property to meet the needs of the survivors who will receive care within its walls. 

To donate, visit the GoFundMe page, or the SafeHope Home website. 

Email: [email protected]

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