Relief is finally here for the long-standing overcrowded conditions at the pandemic homeless shelter in Maite, A second facility has opened up in Tamuning, to take in those who had to be turned away from the first one.

The Tamuning Plaza Hotel is the site of the new homeless shelter. KUAM was on the scene but was not allowed inside for privacy reasons but did manage to speak to a couple of folks who are approved applicants for the facility.

Janice Cruz and Robert Perez said they applied at the Global Dorm in Maite but there was no room at the time.

"I appreciate it very much because I'm being fed breakfast lunch and dinner. And I'm actually sleeping in a bed after almost six years," Perez said.

"It's a good place," Cruz said. "Before I was staying here as a client I was just going places to places, abandoned buildings, sidewalks, bus stops, anywhere that I could sleep."

The new COVID emergency shelter has been dubbed "Liheng Sinafo", or safe shelter.
It provides another 40 rooms for the homeless, an obvious improvement to living on the streets.

"Being homeless without any resources or support. Living off of the very basic like federal funding assistance like food stamps, it's hard when you don't have anybody to call out to. And when you ask people that are here willing to shelter you and feed you because those are the basic things we need to sustain life if we could only appreciate it unless you can have other options but right now the options for me came to this point so," Perez said.

"It had helped me to open my eyes in a lot of things because before I never knew how to do anything for myself, because it was always my mom doing it or if I ask questions to my friends whatever they're the one," Cruz said. "So it feels good to know that I could actually do something for myself and for my mom."

The second shelter comes more than a year after the first one was open.
The lt. Governor's led a task force that tapped catholic social services to once again manage it.

Meanwhile, Mañelu will conduct case management operations focused on life skills and employment training.

GHURA funded the program through the cares act provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development.

But Perez might sum it up best for the homeless applicants.

"I'm just thankful I found a place," he shared.