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** 2023: A Year for Policy
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A few weeks ago, the Movement Advancement Project gave me the best Christmas present ever: a new ID study ([link removed]) .

For six years I have gone to bed every night dreaming about the day that we would receive a brand new, national study on IDs in America and here it is. Even better, it confirms everything our 501c3 has seen on the ground every day for six years.

The first big thing is that we have known that the number of American adults without ID is far higher than the number we’ve had from the 2012 study that has, until now, been the only real survey of ID-less Americans in the country. But now, thanks to MAP, we have a new number: 26 million. That’s right. Five million MORE American adults do not have government-issued photo ID now than in 2012. This is a stunning number. 11% of adults in America do not have the ID they need to obtain jobs, housing, social services, medical care, open a bank account, and so much more and the problem is only getting worse.

Not only that, but when we break down the average cost of an ID we see why it’s so incredibly difficult to get one. Our average cost to obtain an ID and the documents needed to get one is $40. This varies widely depending on client needs and the state we’re in, our IDs can range anywhere from $5 to well over $100. But $40 is the average.

$40 is 5 1/4 hours of work at the federal minimum wage.

Birth certificates average $51, which is 7 hours of work at the federal minimum wage. This is especially shocking considering that 6-7% of adults or 15-18 million people do not have access to documents proving birth or citizenship. This is certainly true for our clients, 57% of whom do not have a birth certificate when they come to us.

MAP also provided us with some shocking new statistics about life without an ID:
* 60% of unhoused people experience harassment or arrest if they cannot produce an ID on demand.
* 54% of people without photo ID were denied shelter or housing services
* 45% of unhoused people were denied medical services due to lack of ID
* 53% of SNAP applicants were denied for lack of ID
* 51% of SSI applicants were denied for lack of ID
* 31% of TANF applicants were denied for lack of ID

There is so much more in this study and, trust me, you will be hearing about it from me a lot next year! But right now, as we close out the year, here’s what this tells us:
1. We absolutely have to pass the IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act now. Our national ID crisis is only getting worse and the solution is in Congress’ hands as we speak. We need a free Federal ID as soon as possible.
2. We have to change policy in every state while we work on Congress. In 2023 we’ll be working on better ID policy for veterans in Rhode Island, Florida, California, and more. We’ll be working to make it easier to get- and keep- IDs and documents in Los Angeles, New York, and large cities across the country, and we’ll be working to get pro-ID candidates elected in Texas, Virginia, Florida, Illinois, New York, California, and cities and states across the US.
3. We have to continue to educate Americans about the ID crisis, why it matters, and how we can solve it.

We can and will do this, but we need your help. In these last few days of the year, will you commit to helping us make sure that every American has an ID? Become a monthly donor and make 2023 the year that you make a permanent change for the better in this country.
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We’re in this every step of the way. Are you with us?

-Kat Calvin, CEO, PIDAF

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