Project helping homeless overcome 'huge barrier' lost ID

A new pilot project is helping people from one of Ottawa's most vulnerable populationsreplace lost or stolen identification a process organizers say issimple for most, but "a big mountain to climb" for those living on the street.

Pro BonoStudents Canada, the Ottawa Mission,Borden Ladner Gervais and Lawyers Feed the Hungry are working together on The ID Project, where volunteers help clientsfill out forms twice a month.

"I think a lot of us take it for granted that you would have identification," said Emily Cumbaa, a 28-year-old law student from the University of Ottawa.

"It's a huge barrier for people who are homeless or precariously housed."

Fellow law student and volunteerSarah Gauthier, 26, said losing a piece of ID ismore than an inconvenience for people who are homeless.

"This miniscule little piece of paper ... or cardcan affect whether or not you can get social housing or Ontario Works," Gauthier says. "Those are things you need to live."

Lack of ID can cause big delays

Marc Gallant,the assistant manager of client servicesat the Ottawa Mission, said for people who frequent shelters, filling out forms isn't just frustrating or confusing: it's nearly impossible.

For those who can't read or write, and who have no way of getting to a Service Ontario location,Gallantsaid the process is "a big mountain to climb."

"It sometimes prevents people from applying and eventually moving out of the shelters. It's very, very important."

Since many forms requireanother pieceof ID, these volunteers say losinga passport,health card or birth certificatecan have a cascading effect.

"It's certainly a challenging process sometimes to get from A to Z, because it's not just filling out one form," explained47-year-oldKirk Boyd, a partner atBorden Ladner Gervaisand a volunteer with The ID Project.

Law students gain valuable experience

Navigating government bureaucracy is something familiar to Cumbaa.

"Unfortunately, or fortunately, one of the things that legal training provides isthe ability to fill out forms," she said with a laugh.

Cumbaa said working pro bonofor The ID Project provides more than a warm feeling:it also allows the legal community to work with a population that has had a complicated relationship with the justice system.

For Gauthier, the project is a way todevelop better interviewing and counselling skills.

"Law, for me, wasn't just to get into a larger corporation and do that paperwork stuff," she said."I want to help people every day."

The ID Project runs every third and fourth Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Ottawa Mission.