Red Hook: Grab a Photo ID and Open a Bank Account at the Same Time

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN — From now through Sep. 23, New Yorkers can apply for a free IDNYC card at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, all while connecting with some of the city's leading community banks.

The Justice Center is located at 88 Visitation Pl. It's pop-up IDNYC application center is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, and on Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Other application centers are available on the IDNYC website.)

On Thursday, city officials, staffers with the Justice Center, and representatives from Amalgamated Bank spoke about the need to get IDs into the hands of residents without them, all while spreading financial literacy to those who may have never opened a bank account.

In addition to their other benefits, such as free membership at cultural institutions and discounted Citi Bike membership rates, the cards can be used to open accounts at a number of community banks around the city.

Hundreds of thousands of New York residents don't have a bank account, according to city estimates, leading people to use check cashing services that take a cut of their earnings.

"Financial literacy was not part of my educational experience," said Councilman Carlos Menchaca, who represents Red Hook, adding that his was one of many immigrant families that lacked familiarity with banks. "The challenge has been connecting people with a financial literacy deficiency to our banks."

"The barrier is stigma," sad Alex Tabor, a manager at Amalgamated Bank's Sunset Park branch. Some people, he said, "feel as if the banks are here to take their money."

Since January, 2015, 814 people have used an IDNYC card at an Amalgamated bank to open an account or cash a check, Tabor said. To further that process, he said, the bank will have a staffer at the Justice Center on Sep. 14th, 16th, 20th and 22nd.

As of June 30, 863,464 residents speaking more than 150 languages had applied for an IDNYC card, according to a study done by the city.

The cards are issued to people regardless of their immigration status — therefore offering a way for undocumented New Yorkers to get photo identification.

Those at the meeting emphasized that banks don't ask for citizenship status when an account is opened up, a message they said they're trying to spread to immigrant communities throughout the city.

A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs added that the department is advertising in a wide range of ethnic publications and running dozens of pop-up IDNYC application centers in order to reach populations that don't consume mainstream English news.

Many answers to IDNYC questions can be found on the program's website, which provides information in multiple languages.

At the Red Hook Community Justice Center event on Thursday

Top image and bottom photo by John V. Santore