Identification Crisis Collaborative (IDCC) has become a program of The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH).

Dear Partners,  

We are writing to inform you of some exciting news. After much deliberation by our Board of Directors, the Identification Crisis Collaborative (IDCC) has become a program of The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH). This move seeks to combine our strengths and resources, will allow us to better serve our community and to continue the IDCC’s work to make securing identification documents as accessible as possible.  

The decision was made easier by the deep alignment between NEOCH’s mission, programs and outcomes and the long-time work of the IDCC. Both agencies were founded to support people experiencing homelessness, preventing poverty and eliminating barriers to housing and so many other opportunities for which identification documents are required. Moreover, both NEOCH and IDCC share a commitment to direct service and system change. We thank the IDCC Advisory Board for making this decision and know that together we will be able to offer even more comprehensive services and support.  We are committed to continuing to provide thousands of documents each year for those in need just as the IDCC has done for so many years. 

NEOCH has always been on the forefront of voter rights and deeper civic participation for unhoused individuals and will be stronger positioned to continue this work with the IDCC as a program. We also deeply appreciate and resonate with the IDCC’s work to support Cleveland’s unhoused LGBTQ+ community in securing documents needed to change legal names.   

We look forward to welcoming the IDCC team into our organization and are excited to accomplish more together. Please rest assured that our mission and core values will remain unchanged. We are excited about the opportunities this merger brings and are confident that it will lead to positive outcomes for everyone involved.  

We look forward to continuing our work with you and with all of the staff and volunteers at the 39 IDCC sites around Cuyahoga County. We appreciate your ongoing support as we transition into this new chapter. We are hoping for a seamless transition and there will be no changes in the near future. We do ask for your patience as we figure out details.  

Eileen Kelly will continue to be the Director of the Program and Kay Scott will continue as the Data Specialist. For those of you who are working at IDCC sites, please continue to use the IDCC program as you have been.  

If you have questions or want more information about the merger, please Chris @ 216-432-0540 or at Chris@neoch.org or contact Eileen directly at (216) 246-7154 or at her new email address EKelly@neoch.org 

Thank you for your continued partnership and for sharing our excitement about this merger. 

 Sincerely, 

Chris Knestrick Eileen Kelly 
Executive Director IDCC Program Director