New funding will help houseless populations in Manchester obtain government IDs and birth certificates.
The money, which comes from Catholic Charities New Hampshire and Members First Credit Union, will help the city’s main homeless shelter pay for fees associated with getting IDs.
Jake King, who runs the Beech Street shelter says, one of the first things any organization serving houseless populations will do is try to help people find vital documents.
“We’ve always been working on helping people get their IDs,” King said. “It's just if you don't have money allotted to that then it’s a waiting game often.”
IDs may get lost or stolen, and without them, King said, it can be hard for people to obtain jobs, permanent housing and even governmental assistance programs like Medicaid.
“Our endgame is to get them employed, or get them seeking medical or mental attention and eventually get them housed but sometimes that takes time,” King said.
While the shelter provides temporary solutions for sleep and food security, a long term solution will need those vital documents.
