📋 Get Your Personal Document Recovery Plan
Without ID, almost nothing is possible — housing, benefits, employment, healthcare. Tell Om your situation and it will create your specific step-by-step plan.
Creating your personalised plan...
🪪 Understanding the Document Catch-22
The cruelest part of homelessness: you need ID to get a home, but you need an address to get ID. Om helps you break this cycle.
- Start with birth certificate — This is your foundation document. In most countries you can request it by post or online with minimal proof. It costs $10–25 in most places. Many charities will pay this for you.
- Use a care of address — Most countries allow you to use a shelter, hostel, charity or even a friend's address as your correspondence address for government purposes. Ask your shelter to provide a letter.
- Access free legal help — Law clinics, Citizens Advice Bureau (UK/Ireland), Legal Aid (US/Australia) can help navigate the document maze at no cost.
- NHS/health registration first — In the UK and Ireland, you can register with a GP without an address. Your NHS number then becomes a valid identifier for other documents.
- Government homeless liaison officers — Most local councils have a specific officer for homeless people. They can bypass normal ID requirements for benefit claims.
- Charity photo ID schemes — Shelter, Crisis (UK), and equivalent charities offer free photo ID services specifically for homeless people.
🏠 Emergency Housing & Shelter
📞 Emergency Contacts
🇬🇧
UK — Shelter
0808 800 4444 · shelter.org.uk · Free housing advice 365 days/year
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USA — 211
Call or text 211 · findhelp.org · Connects to local shelter and services
🇮🇪
Ireland — Focus Ireland
01 881 5900 · focusireland.ie · National homeless support
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International
FEANTSA (Europe) · Habitat for Humanity · Contact your local council housing department