Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is encouraging vulnerable Tennesseans to protect their address by taking advantage of his office’s Safe at Home address confidentiality program.
Hargett’s call for Tennesseans to take advantage of the program comes during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which was observed on Wednesday.
It’s #NationalHumanTraffickingAwarenessDay. Any Tennessean who has experienced #HumanTrafficking, stalking, domestic abuse or any sexual offense can protect themselves by protecting their address with Safe at Home. Visit https://t.co/NdXfaPm17z. #HTAD2023 #EndTrafficking pic.twitter.com/VLJx5QIosx
— Tre Hargett (@tnsecofstate) January 11, 2023
The Safe at Home program provides approved applicants with a substitute address to protect their legal address from being obtained through public records. The substitute address provided to approved applicants can be used by anyone in the household, including children, elderly parents, and new spouses.
The free program is open to all victims of domestic abuse, stalking, human trafficking, rape, sexual battery, or any other sexual offense who satisfy eligibility and application requirements, according to Hargett’s office. Applications are available at Safe at Home partner agencies across the state’s 95 counties.
Hargett’s office notes that state and local agencies are required to accept the substitute Safe at Home addresses with very few exceptions as a person’s legal address. The provided addresses to approved applicants can be used for legal purposes, including voter registration, access to assistance programs, school registration, and government services such as obtaining a driver’s license.
“Safe at Home helps protect victims and their families from abusers by protecting their address from public record,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “This program is free for victims of any age or gender who have been a victim of stalking, human trafficking, domestic abuse or any sexual offense.”
This confidentiality program was launched in 2019 and expanded by the Tennessee State Legislature in 2021. The program currently serves more than 580 victims in 43 counties across Tennessee, according to data released by Hargett’s office.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Tre Hargett” by Tennessee Secretary of State.
FGH
Do they have a program like this for abused taxpayers?