New legislation allows Guam's homeless to get IDs

Guam – Without an ID, it’s nearly impossible to overcome homelessness. A recently introduced legislation would allow homeless individuals to obtain the identification they need.

Cited as the “Homeless Youth and Families Identification Act,” Bill 126-35 would require the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) to implement an exceptions process for homeless applicants unable to meet the department’s established criteria.

The measure, introduced by Senator Mary Camacho Torres, responds to a growing problem reported amongst Guam’s homeless population. According to data from the Guam Homeless Coalition’s most recent Point-in-Time Count Report, the number of responses citing “no identification as a barrier” doubled between 2017 and 2018.

Recognizing that fees for acquiring or replacing personal identification documents are often prohibitive to homeless individuals, Torres’ measure would waive all fees associated with the exceptions process. The measure would further allow alternative verification as proof of residence from homeless service providers on Guam, provided the document is satisfactory to DRT.

Read more: https://pacificnewscenter.com/new-legislation-allows-guams-homeless-to-get-ids/