Haven Homes of Detroit

Haven Homes of Detroit is a Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to providing safe and stable housing for women survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Founded in March 2021 by a husband and wife duo, HHD was built from a recognition that the systems meant to protect survivors, from childhood through adulthood, have repeatedly failed them. HHD was created to fill that gap.

Mission: To empower women to heal from the trauma of human trafficking and exploitation by providing safe housing, creating supportive communities, removing barriers to resources, while equipping them with the skills they need to reclaim their lives and create a brighter future.

Vision: Haven Homes of Detroit aspires to offer services which inspire a survivor-led movement of health and wellness beyond human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

Tagline: Homes of Healing, Stories of Hope, or Dignity for All

Why This Work Matters

Michigan ranks in the top 10 states in the nation for human trafficking cases. The need in Detroit is urgent and under-addressed:

• 70% of survivors exiting trafficking need help finding a safe place to stay
• 80% of survivors are revictimized if they don't have a safe place to live
• 73% of survivors cannot find people who will help or care for them when they leave trafficking
• 61% of survivors are recruited by a family member or intimate partner; 48% are exploited by their own family
• 60% of survivors experienced financial abuse by their trafficker
• 40% of survivors have a criminal record, and approximately 90% of the time, it was related to their exploitation

These statistics are not abstract;, they represent the women who come to Haven Homes of Detroit's door.

Core Values

HHD operates according to four foundational values that guide all program design and staff interactions:

1. Dignity of all people, every resident, team member, partner, and supporter is treated with respect and worth.
2. Program created with survivors, Survivors and residents are the experts in their own healing. Staff walk alongside residents with humility and empathy. 50% of employees have some level of lived experience.
3. Integrity, HHD operates with transparency in finances, marketing, and team culture, meeting survivors where they are while respecting their autonomy.
4. Leveraging partners, HHD collaborates with Detroit-based organizations that continue to be available to residents long after they graduate.

Leadership

Executive Director/Co-Founder: Aaron Detweiler Short, MS, Licensed residential builder and former social services professional with experience serving children and adults with disabilities, substance abuse and or mental health. Brings hands-on construction expertise alongside organizational leadership.

Program Director: Emily Johnson, LMSW, Licensed clinical social worker overseeing all program delivery and resident care.

Program Coordinator: Beth Lepsch, Coordinates day-to-day programming and resident scheduling.

Lead Residential Specialist: Alice Jay, A survivor herself with over 15 years of direct service experience, bringing authentic lived expertise to the team.

Board of Directors:

• Sean Weakley, President, District Area Manager, Home Depot; housing renovation and restoration experience
• Tameka Ward, Treasurer, Financial Controller, Detroit Rescue Mission; collegiate business educator
• Kristen Detweiler Short, Secretary/Co-Founder, Senior Director, Nuvalent, Inc.; Nurse Practitioner; 10+ years corporate strategy experience
• Ashlee Battocletti, Chief Growth Officer, Community Financial Credit Union; criminal justice background
• Breyuana Brown, Senior Digital Product Manager, Rocket LLC; Detroit native
• Stacey Johnson, Retired, Inkster Police Department
• Yolanda Lockett, Legislative Assistant, City of Detroit
• Patricia Wells (Advisory), Family Nurse Practitioner; Bagley Community Council member

HHD's staffing model is intentionally survivor-informed: 50% of staff bring lived experience with trafficking, exploitation, substance abuse, ensuring care is culturally grounded and empathetically delivered.

Housing Model

HHD acquires abandoned or blighted Detroit homes, fully renovates them into safe, dignified living spaces, and provides rent-free housing to residents for 18–24 months. This dual approach directly benefits both the women served and the Detroit neighborhoods in which the homes are located. HHD currently operates two homes, serving up to eight women simultaneously.