The bill, sponsored by Sen. Robyn Kennedy and Rep. James O’Day of Worcester will waive the $25 fee for homeless applicants and reduce their burden to obtain proof of residency.
By Paisley Huang
Boston University News Service
It has been about two years since Avi Manning lost her state ID. Like many people experiencing homelessness, it is easy to lose an ID while moving between streets and shelters, and it is hard to obtain a new one.
Now, Massachusetts lawmakers are advancing legislation that could provide free IDs for homeless adults and youth.
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Robyn Kennedy, D-Worcester, and Rep. James O’Day, D-Worcester, will waive the $25 fee for homeless applicants and reduce their burden to obtain proof of residency.
In November, National Homelessness Awareness Month, advocates hope to raise awareness about barriers to identification that restrict housing and job opportunities for homeless individuals.
Manning, who testified in support of the bill at a recent Statehouse hearing, said she was applying for transitional housing through Women’s Lunch Place, a women’s shelter and advocacy center in Boston. Without an ID, she needs to wait for extra paperwork to be completed while she stays in a shelter.
“Not having your identification when you are homeless is a different type of isolation,” Manning said, hoping to be able to apply for a job, rent a car, and get a library card. She is waiting for mail to be sent to the shelter as proof of her residency.
Once the mail arrives, she needs to make an online appointment at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which is another obstacle for homeless individuals who lack access to computers and consistent Wi-Fi.
“This is the lowest cost bill you have ever seen us talking about,” said Kelly Turley, the associate director of Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless at the hearing. Sixteen states already approved free or reduced fee IDs for people experiencing homelessness, according to Movement Advance Project.
Nonprofit groups and shelters sometimes pay the $25 fee for homeless applicants, but in other cases, people have to put together the fees for their IDs and for the background documents, like a copy of their birth certificate, according to Turley.
The bill will also allow homeless applicants to submit residency documentation from a service provider. They are now able to present a letter from the shelter confirming that they reside at the facility, but gathering all documentation and navigating paperwork can be overwhelming.
“We want to make sure that the process is streamlined and that even people who don’t have an advocate would be able to navigate this process,” Turley said.
By specifying unaccompanied homeless youth, the bill highlights the challenges faced by young adults under 24 who face additional barriers to obtaining IDs. Turley said many struggle to gather the documents required for an application, such as a lease or utility bill in their name.
According to Massachusetts Youth Count, a 2024 report from the Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission, 33.4% of young people coped with homelessness by couch surfing, going from a friend or family member’s couch to another. This gives them lower priority in accessing housing aid than those sleeping in shelters or encampments, said Leah Bradley, CEO of Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance.
“In order for us to prevent youth from sleeping outdoors, we have to intervene while they’re living with other folks,” she said.
CMHA is working on connecting young adults in Worcester County to Rapid Rehousing programs, providing housing subsidies to participants between the age of 18 and 24. Because most subsidized units require identification, lack of IDs keeps young adults away from most opportunities to secure housing while continuing their education or seeking employment training.
This article originally appeared in The Worcester Guardian.
