The City Commission on Monday approved Orlando's part in a plan to get hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight human trafficking.

The commission is just one of several partnering agencies applying for a $600,000 federal grant.

Those who work to fight sex trafficking in Central Florida say the problem is so big, they need more resources.

The Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force was formed two years ago to create more awareness about the problem in Central Florida.

But since that task force was created, the partnership has had no steady funding.

"We've come a long way, but there's still more to do," said Tomas Lares, the task force's co-founder and chairman.

The Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force is going through the grant application process for $600,000 that would allow the different subcommittees within the task force to work better with each other to fight the problem.

Those who help victims fight human trafficking say it's a world victims have trouble escaping.

"The complex trauma that occurs is really something that is horrific," Lares said. "These traffickers, these pimps, these handlers really know how to manipulate and control."

Law enforcement agencies that work to prosecute human trafficking suspects rely on agencies like the Victims Service Center of Central Florida, one of the places where victims of human trafficking can turn to for help. But funding is hard to come by.

"There are a lot of limitations to what we can do," said JoEllen Revell, the center's program director. "We don't have any staff just to deal with human trafficking victims."

Agencies that work together to fight human trafficking say getting this grant would allow them to make major progress in fighting a problem that's not easy to tackle.

"By having funding to support the cause, it will absolutely assist agencies such as Victim's Service Center, Department of Children and Families, other local entities that are all really trying to work with victims, but just need a little bit of support to do that," Revell said.

The agencies and task force are expected to hear by late September if they'll be getting the federal grant.

A national anti-human trafficking group ranks Florida as third in the nation for trafficking.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center reports 77 cases are under investigation in Florida this year.

According to the group, nine out of 10 trafficking victims in Florida are women, and most of the victims are forced into prostitution.