Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2, 2016
CONTACT: NYCHA media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs SRai@moia.nyc.gov | (212) 676-3013

NYCHA, IDNYC ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND IDNYC BENEFITS TO PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS CITYWIDE

Temporary IDNYC Enrollment Site at Sedgwick Houses in the Bronx Will Run Through August 20th

NEW YORK— Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) announced a new partnership to increase enrollment in IDNYC among NYCHA residents. The announcement was made at the launch of the first IDNYC pop-up enrollment site at NYCHA’s Sedgwick Houses Community Center in the Bronx. The NYCHA pop-up site, sponsored in part by City Council Member Vanessa Gibson and the Neighborhood Coordination Officers of the 46th Precinct, will make it easier for residents of Sedgwick Houses and nearby developments to learn about IDNYC’s benefits and enroll in the free municipal identification card program. NYCHA is also working with MOIA to increase access to information on the card’s benefits by visiting NYCHA’s Family Days throughout August and September, and advertising at NYCHA developments across the city and in the NYCHA Journal, as well as promoting the program on digital and social media platforms.

“I am thrilled to join the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who’ve already signed up for the IDNYC card – and today, we are proud to provide NYCHA residents with the same opportunity to engage with our city,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye, who signed up for her IDNYC card on site. “With this card, residents will have greater access to cultural and educational offerings across New York City – and this pop-up makes enrollment easier for all, bringing the process directly to the community.”

“Pop-up sites are crucial to ensuring that New Yorkers can get IDNYC in locations convenient to them,” said Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “This pop-up at the Sedgwick Community Center will create opportunities for New Yorkers to get a crucial form of identification. Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, IDNYC gives New York City residents access to an array of resources, including free memberships at leading museums and cultural institutions and 12 banks and credit unions with branches across the city. This sort of access is what we envisioned when we created IDNYC, and we will continue to seek more opportunities for cardholders.”

The IDNYC card connects New Yorkers to an array of City services, programs, and benefits—regardless of immigration status—and is accessible to those who may have difficulty obtaining other forms of identification, including seniors, immigrants, teenagers, and transgender individuals. The IDNYC card is accepted by the NYPD, grants access to all City buildings, functions as a library card across all three library systems, and serves as primary identification for opening a bank or credit union account at more than 75 financial institution branches across New York City. Additional benefits of the IDNYC card include discounts on groceries and medicine, as well as free one-year memberships to 40 cultural institutions across New York City, including the Bronx Zoo.

“The Council has been working hard to make sure all New Yorkers have an IDNYC and with more and more pop up centers opening, it’s very telling that there has been a need for an ID program like this one,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “IDNYC is a key to access our city’s agencies, and it has been especially important for disenfranchised community members who cannot afford to obtain a state identification or who do not have the required documentation. Whether you are undocumented, elderly, transgender, formerly incarcerated, young adult, or anyone else, I encourage all to apply and get their IDNYC.”

“IDNYC plays a vital role in our efforts to create a more equitable city. Over the past year, this card has forged pathways to financial stability for thousands of New Yorkers while simultaneously opening the doors of world renowned cultural institutions to all card holders,” said New York City Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety. “I sincerely thank Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for their leadership on this issue, and I am thrilled that through the Sedgwick Houses Community Center pop-up site, Bronx residents will have even better access to obtaining a municipal ID. IDNYC provides accessible IDs to all New Yorkers and I strongly encourage those who don't yet have one to take advantage of this wonderful program.”

“IDNYC’s numerous benefits for all New Yorkers, regardless of documentation status, is truly unique and its purpose goes beyond a regular municipal ID,” said New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres, Chair of the Committee on Public Housing. It gives New Yorkers access to institutions, such as banks and health centers they may not have access to because of various circumstances, so I encourage everyone to get an IDNYC today!”

"Among the many goals of the IDNYC card is the aim to bring the hardest-to-reach populations into the fold of civic engagement. This decision to launch an enrollment site in a public housing location is phenomenal,” said New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “It promotes an important IDNYC goal and it marks the beginning of efforts like this to continue maximizing on the potential of IDNYC in public housing and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to government-issued ID."

"IDNYC is available to all New Yorkers regardless of gender identity, immigration status or homelessness and is a great way to show NYC pride," said New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm, lead sponsor of the legislation that created the identification card. "IDNYC grants cardholders access to many programs and services that would otherwise be inaccessible to them--such as renting an apartment, acquiring prescriptions drugs and picking up children from school. I urge all New Yorkers to apply for their ID today."

"I am very proud of the tremendous success of the revolutionary IDNYC program. IDNYC has allowed for countless New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, to have access to essential services and provide countless benefits for communities who may otherwise experience difficulty obtaining a government-issued ID,” said New York State Senator José M. Serrano. “Throughout my time as an elected official, I have fought for the protection of our immigrant community and I am proud to see that New York City continues to expand this program to the outer boroughs."

“Our Neighborhood Coordination Program and NCO Officers are committed in creating partnerships with city agencies, organizations and businesses in order to build strong relationships with our community. In our efforts to accomplish that, we are co-sponsoring an event with IDNYC and NYCHA,” said Inspector Philip P. Rivera, Neighborhood Coordination Officers of the 46th Precinct. “This event will provide our community residents the opportunity to apply for a NYC Identification Card which will allow them to have access to discounted programs and services offered by many institutions.”

“I think IDNYC is great,” said Sedgwick Houses Tenant Association President Lucille White. “I know I am getting one. The fact that I can do it right here in my development is an added bonus, and residents should definitely take advantage of this.”

All city residents age 14 and over are eligible to sign up for the free municipal identification card. Applicants must have documentation that proves identity and residency in New York City. The City will protect the confidentiality of all IDNYC card applications and will not ask applicants about their immigration status.

NYCHA’s pop-up site at the Sedgwick Houses Community Center will operate from August 2 through August 20, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to make an appointment, as walk-ins are not guaranteed. There are 26 enrollment centers across all five boroughs, including the pop-up sites opening around the city on a rotating basis. For more information on eligibility criteria, benefits, and to make an appointment, applicants can visit nyc.gov/idnyc or call 311.