Homeless ID Project is Arizona’s only full-time nonprofit dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness obtain replacement IDs and vital documents. Operating statewide from Phoenix to Tucson, the organization removes a critical barrier to housing, employment, healthcare, and essential services, partnering with more than 50 human-service agencies, supporting their clients by helping them obtain the critical documents needed to move forward. Here, Rick Mitchell, executive director, discusses how obtaining one’s ID is a stepping stone to ending homelessness, the nonprofit’s goals for 2026, and events on the horizon.
What is the mission of Homeless ID Project? Homeless ID Project is on a mission to end homelessness. Identification documents are a small, but vital piece, without which nothing else happens.
What prompted the start of the nonprofit? Homeless ID Project was founded by Rev. Gerald Roseberry in 1988. Curious and concerned about the increase in homelessness in Arizona, Jerry grew a beard and joined the ranks of the homeless for 30 days. During this time, he lived in tents and shelter beds in Downtown Phoenix and Tucson. He was surprised to hear that much of the conversation was about IDs — who had one; who lost one; how one can be obtained. He learned IDs were easy to lose and hard to replace. Without one, there were no good options for escaping homelessness…