Vancouver homeless advocate thinks food bank ID policies need to change

The City of Vancouver’s former homeless advocate thinks food bank policies may need to change in order to help people who are most in need.

Judy Graves says it’s not fair for those who are most vulnerable.

“People who are homeless don’t have ID because they are vulnerable to predators in the street. Often within the first week of being street homeless, their ID is stolen from them. People who have no money for food cannot afford to replace their ID.”

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“It’s very expensive. You have to pay for every piece of ID. Birth certificates, BC ID, drivers licenses are all expensive, and people simply don’t have the money to get them.”

The Greater Vancouver, Surrey and Maple Ridge food banks all require users to have proof of identification, but will offer emergency packages or redirect the homeless to other resources for food.

This comes as residents of the Balmoral Hotel & SRO were evicted by the City of Vancouver due to safety concerns.

While the City says it and BC Housing have found 131 units for renters at the building, a member of the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society says not everyone in the building was accounted for, and don’t know what’s going to happen to them.