ID Legislation Creates Hurdles for Homeless People

Press Type: Press Release   Associated Program: Civil Rights

Released: 05/2005

Homeless people will have a more difficult time getting housing, employment and benefits under legislation being considered in Congress today, says a national homeless advocacy organization. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), a provision in the emergency supplemental spending bill for military operations in Iraq would change how drivers licenses and identification cards are issued in the U.S. The legislation is being debated today in the Senate.

The bill would establish minimum standards for the documentation a person must provide to obtain a drivers license or state-issued identification card. These requirements include a photo identity document (or non-photo document that shows a persons full legal name and date of birth), documentation showing date of birth, proof of Social Security account or proof that a non-citizen is not eligible, and documentation showing a persons name and address. These requirements will take away state flexibility and make it much more difficult for homeless people to get identification, said Maria Foscarinis, NLCHPs Executive Director.

Homeless persons often find it difficult to document their date of birth or their address. Because homeless people usually have no place to store possessions, they often lose their belongings, including their identification and other documents, or find them destroyed by police or others. Without a photo ID, homeless persons cannot get a job or access many social services. They can be denied access to even the most basic assistance: clothing closets, food pantries, certain public benefits, and in some cases, emergency shelters.

Obtaining replacement identification is difficult. Without an address, birth certificates cannot be mailed. Fees may be cost-prohibitive for impoverished persons. And some states will not issue birth certificates unless the person has photo identification, creating a Catch-22. Replacing social security cards is no easier: homeless persons sometimes cannot get into the Social Security buildings to request cards because they lack photo identification.

The new requirements will exacerbate this problem and increase the difficulties homeless people face in obtaining housing and benefits. Demonstrating proof of address may be especially challenging for homeless persons who, by definition, lack one. This bill has the potential to create a shadow class of American citizens who cannot work, or access housing, food, and other resources because they cannot prove their identity,  said Foscarinis.

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