Rick Mitchell
Submitted photo/Homeless ID Project
By Rick Mitchell | Phoenix
During National Homelessness Awareness Month each November, we are reminded of the complicated and deeply human realities of homelessness. We see tents along city streets, we hear debates about affordable housing and behavioral health care, and we discuss what long-term solutions might look like.
All of that matters. But there is a barrier that receives far less attention, even though it is one of the most common and solvable challenges people experiencing homelessness face: the lack of personal identification.
For most of us, an ID is something we rarely think about. It sits in our wallet, ready when we need it. But for thousands of Arizonans experiencing homelessness, an ID is often out of reach. Lost during an eviction or a move, stolen, damaged or simply unaffordable to replace. And without one, daily life becomes an obstacle course:
• You cannot apply for housing without identification.
• You cannot enroll in public benefits meant to help you.
• You cannot access funds in your own bank account.
• You cannot secure employment.
• You cannot get into many shelters.
• You often cannot even pick up a prescription or access basic medical care.
A missing ID doesn’t just make life inconvenient, it compounds instability and prolongs homelessness.
Homeless ID Project’s mission is simple but profound: help people experiencing homelessness obtain the vital documents needed to rebuild their lives. Last year alone, we assisted 17,644 individuals and successfully replaced 12,765 critical documents such as state IDs and birth certificates. For many, that document is the first step toward housing, medical care, employment or reunification with family.
Homelessness rarely ends with one single solution — it ends through a series of small, practical steps. An ID is often the key that unlocks everything else.
We are fortunate to live in a community that understands the importance of meeting people where they are, without judgment. Homelessness is not a personal failure; it is often the result of economic hardship, trauma, systemic inequity and lack of affordable housing. When we focus on restoring access to identity, we are not just providing a document; we’re restoring dignity.
This work is only possible through community generosity. Through partnerships with community organizations such as Valley Toyota Dealers, as well as individual donations, we can remove the barriers that keep people stuck in crisis. Their support helps ensure that the cost of a birth certificate or state ID never stands between someone and the chance to move forward.
Ending homelessness absolutely requires large, coordinated systems-level solutions. But those solutions are only within reach if people can take the first step, and that step begins with being able to prove who you are.
I encourage our community to look beyond headlines and recognize the everyday, practical barriers that keep people unhoused. Something as simple as an ID — something most of us take for granted — can mark the difference between remaining stuck and beginning again.
We will continue working to ensure that every person who needs that first step has access to it. Because everyone deserves the chance to move forward.
Editor’s note: Rick Mitchell is executive director of Homeless ID Project, a Phoenix-based nonprofit. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.