First in a series on the support provided by our Critical Needs Fund.
How do you prove who you are? A birth certificate? A Social Security card? Many of the people who seek our services have no proof of ID. Vital documents are key in order to verify one’s identity and are essential to securing an ID, which allows a person to apply for employment, enter a lease agreement, apply for housing programs, link to benefits, and in some cases, access shelter.
A person without vital documents may have had to flee a domestic violence situation, may have lost their storage unit when they were no longer able to pay the fees, or may have been the victim of theft. There are many reasons why they no longer have ID.
While funding programs are available to help many of those in need secure housing, there are no funding sources to secure either the ID, or the vital documents necessary to establish identity. It is one of the funding gaps we encounter almost daily.
Together with our community partners we have worked with the Oakland County Clerk’s Office and were able to get the $15 vital document fee reduced or waived for our most vulnerable program participants. However, if a person needs documents from another county in Michigan or another state, or must apply through the State, the fees vary and can pose a significant obstacle.
ID is essential to help someone transform their life. Your donation to our Critical Needs Fund can help set someone on the road to recovery, housing and employment. These are the fees that are required by various agencies to obtain ID:
- $10 – veteran photo ID card
- $12 – rush processing (2 weeks instead of 4-5 weeks) for a vital record from the State of Michigan
- $20 – two certified copies of a birth or death certificate in Macomb County
- $30 – Michigan state ID cards for three people
- $50 – two certified copies of a birth certificate from the State of Michigan
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