Online application allows homeless Montrealers to keep personal documents

Two local groups have launched an online sharing platform to help Montreal's homeless store copies of personal documents.

• 'More people are falling through the cracks,' Montreal's new homeless advocate says
• 'I'm going to go play right away,' homeless man says after stolen violin replaced
• Homeless Montreal man's selfless act inspires donation from Alberta entrepreneur

Reconnect, anonline application, allows users to conserve necessary papers while still respecting their right to privacy. Pierre Digonnet, the creator of the project, says that users can choose who can access and read theirfiles.

"The person has a personal account, their own password and can decide whether or not to share the information," Digonnet told Radio-Canada. "If they decide to delete their account, the information is deleted."

"We on the back-end don't keep the documents that person is the master of their information."

Better outreach

Social workers will also benefit from the application since as many as 30 per cent spend their time filling out paperwork to help homeless Montrealersreplace lost documentation, such asdrivers' licenses and healthcare cards.

• UN critical of Canada's record on housing, homelessness
• 'My life is here': Homeless man living in Canada for 48 years faces deportation

"I will use this regularly. When it comes to social reintegration, it will help things move along because sometimes it take weeks before you even get your papers back," Karine Projean, a co-ordinator for a homeless shelter in Griffintown, said.

The application was developed in France and is now available in five different organizations in Montreal. The goal for the developers is toprovide access forhomeless peopleacross Canada.