Oil Sands

The next time you pull your Alberta ID card or driver’s licence from your wallet or purse, think about all the times you’ve needed to show it.

Opening a bank account. Cashing a paycheque. Renting an apartment. Most of us probably don’t give it much more than a passing thought, but many services require that we show identification to prove who we are.

Now think about trying to do those things without ID. For many Albertans, it’s one of the barriers they face in overcoming homelessness.

The Jasper Place Health and Wellness Centre brought this to my attention shortly after I was elected in 2008. Since then, Service Alberta has been working with the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs on a solution to help ensure homeless Albertans have access to the Alberta ID card.

There were several challenges. The lack of a permanent address and lost or missing documents, such as birth certificates, made obtaining ID difficult for many people.

Fortunately, community organizations, such as Boyle Street Community Services and Hope Mission, are helping us with those challenges. Homeless Albertans can use the address of a shelter or agency as proof of residence, and the government is training shelter and agency employees to help homeless people obtain the supporting documents they need to apply for ID.

Last week, I had the privilege of joining Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Jonathan Denis in announcing that this service will be available across the province. Thanks to help from our community not-for-profit and registry agent partners, we have taken one more step towards eliminating homelessness in Alberta.

    - Hon. Heather Klimchuk, Minister of Service Alberta