My driver’s license expires in the middle of July. I’d been eyeing the date for some time now, dreading what was coming. Even though I’ve been in Maryland these past few months, I’m from Rhode Island, and my trip back to RI won’t be until after the card expires. I was putting off the phone call to the Department of Motor Vehicles to explain why there was no way I could make it to a Rhode Island DMV even though I still lived in state. I was pleasantly surprised to find that things have gotten easier since the last time I needed ID, and I was able to renew everything online.
I’ll still be stuck with the same dorky picture of me from when I was 18, but all I had to do was check a box that said yes, I still wear glasses, and send Rhode Island $40 and I’ll be legal to drive and drink and go to the bank uninterrupted. For others, it is not so easy. Individuals experiencing homelessness frequently find themselves unable to prove who they are, and this leaves them cut off from the services that are supposed to help.
When I ask people who have needed to obtain identification while experiencing homelessness, I hear the same paradox repeatedly: “You need ID to get ID.” It’s true, because a license application usually requires a birth certificate, a social security application usually requires a license, etc. Unfortunately, you also need identification to get food stamps, apply for housing, and even to get into some shelters or drop in centers. These are often the ticket to homeless services, but are so expensive — in both time and money — that they can delay someone from receiving services indefinitely. Furthermore, because they are so difficult to obtain, identification is a commonly stolen item inside shelters and on the street.
There are some programs in place to help with this conundrum. Some shelters, transitional houses, and day centers encourage clients to have their mail delivered to the facility and use the shelter address as their own when applying for a new identification care. While this is perfectly legal, it can sometimes lead to confusion or a delay in getting mail, because individuals are at the mercy of the staff to sort and hand out mail deliveries. This also ties the individual to one particular shelter or program, and could mean starting the process over again once he or she is housed.
In Myrtle Beach, all individuals experiencing homelessness are being issued a basic information card to help track the food, housing, and clothing they receive. This will help with access to emergency services, but the card isn’t the same as a federally issued driver’s license or ID card. Florida residents can now obtain a license or general ID without having to pay the state’s $25 fee, but still need to pay $6.25 for a birth certificate before they can get said license or general ID. In most states, individual organizations can provide some assistance in paying for ID cards, but funds are limited and cannot always meet the need.
In a culture that is so driven by identification cards, many people are unable to prove who they are. Instead of being recognized as a person with a name and a birthday who is an organ donor, these individuals are labeled only as homeless. Until the process of obtaining identification can be made more accessible, these people are trapped in homelessness, challenged to receive services and housing.
I’m incredibly glad that I didn’t have to explain to the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles why I needed a new license from five states away. Still, I wonder why something as important as identification is no problem for people who live in two places, and a trial for those don’t have anywhere to call home.
