An ID storage program launched by Victoria’s Salvation Army Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre aims to lower barriers to essential services for people facing homelessness.
A lack of ID is one of the most common stumbling blocks for those living in poverty to access employment, financial assistance, housing or health care, according to Salvation Army. What’s more, vaccine passports are required in B.C. for entry to services that are vital to this community, such as recreation centres, restaurants and stores said Patricia Mamic, spokesperson for the Salvation Army.
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“There is a concern that with the introduction of vaccine passports as a mandatory requirement to access basic services, this could pose a significant challenge for our homeless and under-housed community,” she said in a release. “Without a safe place to store personal ID, it is subject to loss and theft.”
As such, the Salvation Army’s new ID storage system will create a space for people experiencing homelessness to store and access paper or digital ID 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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