Through an executive order last month, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero established a new office of homelessness assistance and poverty protection within the Mayors' Council of Guam. She also repealed and reconstituted the members of the Interagency Council on Homelessness to be chaired by the Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio.

This morning, Tenorio led the first meeting for the new group sharing that the council was actually first established in 2007 by former governor Felix Camacho.

The council is made up of a Mayors' Council of Guam representative sitting as Vice Chair-- Sinajana Mayor Robert Hofmann and the remaining members include Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority Executive Director Ray Topasna, Guam Housing Corporation President Alice Taijeron, Guam regional transit authority Executive Manager Celestin Babauta, appointed member former First Lady Joann Camacho and Guam Homeless Coalition representative Dr. Margaret Hattori-Uchima.

All seven individuals were present for today's inaugural meeting.
Dr. Uchima informed her colleagues how the coalition has made forward action within the coalition but believes the missing link has been the Mayors' Council, and she says adding them is "genius."

"We realized we do play a role in this, and we recognize there are homeless families and people at the brink of getting homeless and we are trying everything we can on our end as local leaders," Hofmann said. "So, we appreciate the administration and everyone here who is willing to help us deliver that service."

The lieutenant governor announced about 50 unsheltered homeless individuals had been provided shelter in Maite at a hotel facility that was secured by the General Services Agency.

"They are occupying 39 rooms, they are currently individuals that are being reviewed or screened and general services agency is identifying other options that are going to be appropriate for all the different kinds of populations we are seeing," he said. "Out of the 50 individuals, there are several children that are up there."

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He described the demographics of those seeking shelter.

"Thirty-six of the 50 are of CHamoru decent, eight are of Chuukese decent, two Caucasian, one Filipino, one Hawaiian, one Palaun, one Japanese," Tenorio said.

Catholic Social Services is providing shelter management and conducting casework. Tenorio added that the effort will continue to identify unsheltered families to provide comprehensive service.
Along with the interagency council, the administration is using federal funds through the department of interior to run the Office of Homelessness and Poverty Prevention, office space has yet to be identified.

In the next few weeks, Tenorio said agencies will be doing presentations with each of the populations. He also indicated that the Interagency on Homelessness and Office of Homelessness and Poverty Prevention will meet every Thursday at 11 a.m.