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How to Obtain Proof of Address to Qualify as a
Member of a Community Disproportionately Impacted
Applicants seeking to qualify for SEE status as an individual from a community
disproportionately impacted (CDI) are required to submit the following:
• Proof of ownership and sole control by one or more individuals from a CDI who
have an ownership interest in the business; and
• Proof of residence documentation demonstrating that you lived in a CDI as
defined by the census tract, for at least:
o Five years when you were below the age of 18, or
o Seven years throughout your life
The five or seven years can be non-consecutive. Below is a list of documents
applicants may submit to prove they are from a CDI.
The OCM may accept other information proving address.
1. Physical ID: Driver License, Non-Driver ID Card, Government-issued ID Card or
Learner Permit
Copy of a Driver License, Non-Driver ID Card, Government-issued ID Card (e.g.,
IDNYC) or Learner Permit that has an address within a community
disproportionately impacted.
2. DMV Address History/Lifetime Abstract
If you do not have a physical ID with the address on it, a copy of old addresses
can be obtained online through the NYS DMV by requesting a lifetime address
history. This document may only be obtained for the individual requesting it and
cannot be obtained for another person.
For New York State residents, please visit the DMV website to make a request.
There is a fee, and you will need a government-issued photo ID. Other states
may have similar systems and processes.
3. State or federal tax filing, return, refund check, or other tax documentation
If you use popular online filing services to file your yearly state and/or federal
taxes, you may be able to download past years’ filings. You can request federal
tax information from the IRS for deceased relatives by filling out an IRS form and
providing death certificates or court documents. Please visit this link for more
information.
You may be able to access certain tax information online including a copy of your
previously filed New York tax returns. Visit Get a copy of my return for more
information on how to create an Online Services account and obtain copies of
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previously filed returns from the New York State Tax Department. Other states
may have similar systems.
4. Document addressed to the individual by a local, state, or federal government
This document should be clearly marked by a government letterhead or seal.
5. Credit report from a nationwide credit bureau
Request a copy of your credit report from one of the three nationwide credit
bureaus. In order to prove the address of an individual from a community
disproportionately impacted, the report must show an address and the date when
it was reported. Some credit bureaus may not include the “Date Reported” in
your credit report. If you have requested a report from a bureau that does not
include this information, you will need to request a report from another bureau.
See this link for more information about how to request a credit report.
6. Utility bill(s) (gas, electric, water)
Contact the utility company to verify the person’s address who lives/lived in a
community disproportionately impacted. Let the utility company know you are
trying to obtain proof of an old address since they were the company used at the
time. They may be able to provide you with an old bill or letter proving residency.
If you are calling to request another person’s information, they may require you to
provide proof of a relationship.
Here is a list of natural gas providers in the state of New York with their contact
information. Other states may have similar lists to assist as well. Utility bills that
are the responsibility of the landlord for property where the landlord did not reside
may not be considered sufficient proof of address.
7. Bank or credit card statement
If the individual from a community disproportionately impacted has/had online
banking at the time of residency and they currently utilize the same bank, they
should be able to download a banking statement online. If they have switched
banks or resided in a community disproportionately impacted prior to online
banking, they may contact the relevant bank with a government-issued photo ID
and request bank statements from the relevant time period. Please note that
some banks do not keep records of some accounts after a certain amount of
time.
8. Pay stub
Contact the employer at the time of residency and request a copy of the paystub
with the mailing address on it. Please note that depending on the employer’s
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policies, some employers may not allow you to request proof of another person’s
residency—only your own.
9. Statement, bill, or record from a health institution or insurance company
Contact your health institution or insurance company at the time of residency to
request a statement, bill or record that proves residency for that time. Do the
same thing if you are attempting to obtain these records for another person.
Some health institutions or health insurance companies may not release this
information to third parties. Each institution or company may be different. Please
note that this record should be on official letterhead.
10. Certificate of Marriage Registration or Certificate of Divorce
Provide a copy of a marriage certificate or divorce judgment which occurred at
the time of residency. To obtain a copy, please contact the court in which the
marriage certificate or divorce paperwork was filed. The address must be listed
on the certificate, and it must be on official letterhead for the state in which it was
certified.
11. High School or College Transcripts
Provide a copy of high school or college transcripts. This document must be from
an accredited school and on official letterhead.
12. Jury summons, court order, or other document from a court
The applicant may have had a jury summons, court order, or other documents
from a court in the state of New York or a court in another state. To request a jury
summons from New York State, contact the New York Commission of Jurors by
visiting this website or emailing [email protected] to see if they have record
of any jury summons. The Commission only maintains jury summons records for
a certain amount of time. To request a court order in New York State, contact the
court from which the court order was issued. To request these documents from
the court of another state, please contact the court system in that state.
13. Lease agreement, mortgage payment, or property tax statement
Contact your landlord or mortgage company at the time residency and request a
copy of your lease/mortgage agreement proving residency at that time. Please
note that depending on the company or individual’s policies, some companies
may not allow you to request proof of another person's residency — only your
own. For more information about how to obtain a property tax statement, please
visit this link.
14. Letter from a public housing authority addressed to the individual
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Contact the public housing authority where the individual from a community
disproportionately impacted resided and request a letter proving residency at that
time. Please note that this letter should be on official letterhead. This letter can
be from a public housing authority in any state.
15. Letter addressed to the individual from a homeless shelter indicating the
individual resided at the homeless shelter
Contact the homeless shelter where the member of a community
disproportionately impacted resided and request a letter proving residency during
that time. Please note that this letter should be on official letterhead and must
include a point of contact.
16. Letter addressed to the individual from a nonprofit organization or religious
institution that provides services to homeless individuals
Contact the nonprofit organization or religious institution and request a letter that
confirms a lack of permanent housing for the member of a community
disproportionately impacted at the time residency. This nonprofit organization or
religious institution must have provided services to the individual during this time
period. Please note that the letter should be on official letterhead and must
include a point of contact.
17. Letter from a domestic violence residential care program or organization that
serves domestic violence survivors
Contact the domestic violence residential care program or organization and
request a letter that confirms residency for the member of a community
disproportionately impacted. The person from the community disproportionately
impacted must have received support from this program or organization during
this time period. Please note that the letter should be on official letterhead and
must include a point of contact.
18. Letter from a charitable organization registered with a state or federal
government agency that provided services to the individual in the ordinary
course of operations
Contact the charitable organization that provided services to the member of a
community disproportionately impacted and request a letter that proves
residence during that time period. Please see this link to search through a list of
registered charitable organizations with the state. Other states may have similar
lists. Please ensure that the charitable organization in the state you are using to
prove address is a registered organization with that state. Please see this link to
search through a list of registered charitable organizations with the federal
government. Please note that this letter should be on official letterhead and must
include a point of contact.
