This situation has largely come about from legacy logistics; an outdated mindset that says that all people have a consistent, fixed address. This isn’t the case for an increasingly large number of people and it causes great strain. The conceptual difference between the existing system and ProxyAddress is a little like that between a landline and a mobile phone. When you call landlines, the first thing the person on the other end says is who is speaking. When you call a mobile, the first thing they usually say is where they are. In the first case, you know the location but not the person; in the latter, it’s vice versa. ProxyAddress tries to deal with addresses being used to identify people by assigning them to people rather than to a place. Today, addresses are used by many as a lynchpin for data. Remove it, and all the relevant information required to access these services falls away. By reinstating it, a huge range of services and benefits can be achieved: from accessing welfare to applying for jobs without stigma, to postal redirection, to opening bank accounts. This small change can make a huge difference in the early stages of homelessness. Q: How do you actually identify these empty addresses? And even if you did assign an empty address to someone, wouldn’t they need to have access to the building in order to be able to collect their mail? A:*Records of empty addresses are already maintained by councils by law. In fact, a key component of the project was making the most of existing infrastructure. When I approach large organisations to partner on the project, asking them to make significant changes to their operations was never going to fly. Instead, the key design challenge was in creating a system that works without significant cost or change required by anyone; one that ’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Post is a good example of this: Royal Mail redirection already exists. In fact, every year over 80,000 children send a letter to Santa Clause using an address that doesn’t exist; the letters end up in a sorting office in Belfast. But the important point is that it could be anywhere *#8211; a postal address is simply a routing instruction and where it ultimately directs to does not need to correspond. This is the characteristic of addressing we use to ensure that no impact is felt on any addresses used: redirection is on the basis of a combination of name and address so no ProxyAddress mail ends up at the physical location, and no impact is felt on credit records of the owners either. Q: So now we have an empty address assigned to someone in need and the postal service takes care of re-routing it. However, don’t you still have to somehow register yourself as an inhabitant of that address, in order to be able to get the social services? How does this work? A:*This comes back to the idea of the address being a lynchpin for data. When you buy a plane ticket, you provide your address. But where you live isn’t of importance *#8211; it’s not even on your passport *#8211; it’s just so that if two people of the same name arrive for the same flight there is some differentiating detail present to help identify each individual. The same principle applies throughout the public and financial sectors; the database which connects the individual to the ProxyAddress can allow access *#8211; if granted and required *#8211; to provide each service. There are occasions where it isn’t transparent though *#8211; for instance when applying to a job while using the care of address of a homeless shelter. Here, ProxyAddress provides the outward appearance of a consistent address, helping ensure that people are judged on their own merit rather than the stigma associated with their living arrangements. Q: Wow! I didn’t think about an address in this way before. You must have spent several weeks, probably months, reading the legal stuff, understanding the pain points before you came up with this idea. Now that Proxy address is out there, what comes next? How are the authorities taking to your proposal? A:*The reaction from local and central government has been wonderful. The recent introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act placed a huge amount of duties on councils to prevent and relieve homelessness. But, with an average of 38% finding cuts in the last 8 years, councils are struggling to do more with less.
We’re currently moving towards a live trial in London. For this first step, we’re tackling the highest bar for identification and anti-fraud regulation compliance: opening a bank account. Without proof of address, this is difficult enough *#8211; but to try it when you’re at the most vulnerable time in your life just isn’t feasible. We hope that crossing this milestone from the outset will clear the path for the many other, less legally onerous, services to follow as part of a wider roll out. Q: How can we help you in your crusade? A: There’s always more I could be doing and learning so the usual needs apply at this stage: funding, publicity (such as this!), connections with local and central government, advice from startups, and advocating for the idea with those who might benefit from it. We’ve made some great progress on all areas but the more hands we can find to help smooth the road ahead, the faster we can make sure that becoming homeless doesn’t mean being cut off from support. You can read more about*ProxyAddress here.
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