Debt Relief Options

Often, survivors experience various forms of debt as a result of their trafficking, including coerced debt, identity theft-related debt, court-related debt, and more. These debts create substantial barriers to stability, including interfering with opening up bank accounts, resulting in civil suits or wage garnishments, and serving as a barrier to obtaining housing and getting college loans to pursue higher education.

Justice At Last staff assists survivors in finding options to minimize these debts, including supporting petitions to remove negative credit histories related to survivors’ trafficking experience from their credit reports per the 2022 Debt Bondage Repair Act (DBRA); referring survivors to banking partners who are dedicated to supporting trafficked persons find debt relief to establish a healthy credit history; and, connecting clients to our Financial Education and Advocacy program that provides individualized coaching and assistance to manage such issues and centers itself around empowering survivors through providing knowledge, building skills, and engaging in opportunities to seek financial justice.