PHOENIX – A partnership between the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division and the Homeless ID Project has helped more than 8,300 people get state-issued IDs in its first year at the Keys To Change campus near downtown Phoenix. 

Nearly 6,600 clients experiencing instability or homelessness have been able to get replacement driver licenses or state IDs at the campus, while an additional 1,800 people were connected with help available beyond the location. Getting a state-issued ID is essential for obtaining housing, services and employment.

MVD’s presence began with an on-site representative and has transitioned to a TeleMVD location connecting clients with live assistance.  

“The TeleMVD setup inside the Homeless ID Project offices is an exciting opportunity for MVD to use technology to provide services at places they are needed at the moment our customers need them,” said Eric Jorgensen, ADOT Motor Vehicle Division Director. “With TeleMVD directly on site, we are excited to assist the Homeless ID Project with their community efforts helping those individuals experiencing homelessness.”

The MVD presence complements the efforts of the Homeless ID Project, which helps provide documents, including replacement copies of birth certificates from all 50 states, on the Keys To Change campus. 

“After one full year, our appreciation for this service remains high,” said Homeless ID Project Executive Director Rick Mitchell. “We are truly grateful to the Department. The partnership with ADOT/MVD has been a game changer in our efforts to help so many of our clients.”

This location is set up with the computer equipment, printer, scanner and camera necessary to help fulfill requests as a TeleMVD office in which customers can conduct many transactions with MVD representatives located elsewhere. TeleMVD allows a customer to complete dozens of vehicle and driver license services without having to travel to an MVD office.

About ADOT MVD: 

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division processes more than 14.5 million transactions each fiscal year, approximately half of those are online through azmvdnow.gov, getting you out of the line and safely on the road.

About Homeless ID Project:

Homeless ID Project is a privately funded nonprofit whose mission is to empower homeless individuals and families to rebuild their lives by providing the critical first step of identification replacement services. The agency was founded in 1988 by Reverend Gerald Roseberry following a month of self‐imposed homelessness during which he discovered that many individuals experiencing homelessness wanting to get a job or find housing had no access to replacement documents that had been lost, stolen, or left behind.