How a Phoenix nonprofit is helping the homeless get back on their feet with more than just shelter

Here's what you need to know about the initiative.

PUBLISHED SEP 7, 2024

This initiative has already helped thousands of people secure identification.

Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona nonprofit Homeless ID Project has teamed up with the state’s Motor Vehicle Department to offer identification services to those in need. Here's what you need to know about the initiative.

What is the point of the project?

The partnership aims to simplify the process of obtaining identification for the homeless community, addressing a significant barrier that often hinders access to jobs, housing, and other essential services.

An aerial view of people walking past a homeless encampment in the afternoon heat on July 21, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Is it a new project?

The Homeless ID Project has been operational for a year. This initiative has already helped thousands of people secure identification.

How does the project actually work?

The Homeless ID Project assists individuals with the paperwork and necessary steps like a photograph to secure a temporary ID on-site, which is followed by the mailing of official documents within a week to the Keys to Change Campus downtown, near 12th Ave. and Jefferson.

Has it helped?

The Homeless ID Project has provided over 156,000 documents, with direct assistance to more than 8,000 individuals. They also offer practical tools like neck wallets to help recipients keep their documents safe and secure.

What is the Homeless ID Project?

The Project is the brainchild of Rev. Gerald Roseberry who spent a month living among the homeless in downtown Phoenix and Tucson. As a result of this Reverend Roseberry founded the Ecumenical Chaplaincy for the Homeless in 1988. This evolved into an established office on the Keys for Change campus in downtown Phoenix and partnership programs across the Valley. In September of 2014, The Chaplaincy officially changed its name to the Homeless ID Project.