Alberta unveils ID cards for homeless people
By Daryl Slade, Postmedia News
The Alberta government said Thursday it is taking steps to grant government identification documents to homeless people, a move that will make it much easier for them to land jobs, rent an apartment or open a bank account.
"Lack of identification has a domino effect. We want to remove those barriers homeless people face for everything," Jonathan Denis, minister of housing and urban affairs, said Thursday at an Edmonton news conference announcing the new ID cards.
"Many of these people do have jobs and I'm proud they will now have an option to set up a bank account, so they don't have to go to cheque cashing places with punishing fees. Twenty to 30 dollars may not be much to us, but it's a lot to those who are struggling."
Denis said it is part of the province's 10-year plan to end homelessness.
Services Alberta Minister Heather Klimchuk said one of her key mandates is to ensure services such as registering a car, obtaining a driver's licence and registering a child, are available to all Albertans.
"We are very committed to ending homelessness," said Klimchuk. "We know these identification cards will help.
"Having government-issued ID can open doors previously closed to the homeless. This is an example of how working with our not-for-profit partners can make a positive difference."
It is estimated there are about 8,500 people in Alberta with "no fixed address."
Denis said the two greatest barriers to getting a job simply are having a fixed address and having some form of identification to verify who they are. Most of these people don't have or have never seen their birth certificate.
Under the new process, shelters funded by the Government of Alberta and homeless-serving agencies can be a homeless person's proof of legal Alberta residency.
It is an individual's choice to obtain the identification card. It is the same card that is currently available to any Albertan who applies for provincial identification but does not have a driver's licence.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Alberta+unveils+cards+homeless+people/3640843/story.html#ixzz124xwurrS |
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