With lawmakers and government officials passing the buck to each other regarding the problem on homelessness of children, it is unlikely that they can find solution soon.
The most active and vocal in airing his thoughts and beliefs on what should be done to some 531 homeless youths is Sen. Michael San Nicolas, D-Dededdo, who suggested to build 200 homes worth $25,000 each to accommodate Guam’s homeless individuals.
Based on data from the 2014 US Housing and Urban Development, Guam’s total homeless population was around 1,356.
There is only one shelter facility in the island that can accommodate a very limited number of “shelterees.”
The Catholic Social Service in partnership with the Department of Public Health and Social Services (BOSSA/DPHSS) opened Guma San Jose or House of Saint Joseph in June 1990. This can only provide 15-22 beds for families and individuals “who are in need of emergency shelter due to unusual circumstances; live in inadequate or has no fixed, regular night-time residence; lives in a temporary, public or private place not designated for sleeping, or in places not fit for human habitation.”
Junction News tried to reach Ms. Diana Calvo, the executive director of the Catholic Social Services for the latest development in the “homelessness” problem, which according to San Nicolas, is now government-wide. It was however, an answering machine that took the call and asked the caller to leave a message.
Meanwhile, Guma San Jose’s program manager, Terry Montera failed to answer our email regarding the same concern.
Still on the same US‘s report about Guam’s problem on homelessness, data shows that there are those “chronically homeless individuals,” totaling 67 who are unsheltered. Others become homeless because of chronic substance abuse and of the 15, only 6 are sheltered. Others include those “severely mentally ill with only one staying in the shelter while 12 remain unsheltered. Of the 36 veterans, only 6 were accommodated while 30 stay outside the shelter. As to victims of domestic violence, only 2 were taken in and 4 are unsheltered.
For a family or individual to be taken in as a shelteree, Guma San Jose requires that applicant “must fill out an intake application form.” And if determined eligible, the applicant may be admitted to the shelter “if beds are available” and if there are none, the individual or family is placed on a wait-list and assisted on a first-come, first-served basis. After 60 days, the shelteree has to exit “with no exception.”
San Nicolas who chairs the legislative committee with oversight over Child Protective Services, said he is very much concerned about the homeless children “who should be concentrating in school, having fun with their friends and growing up to the best they can be.”
“Children should not be worrying about having a roof over their heads, food for their empty stomach, or their safety as they try to sleep at night,” the lawmaker lamented.
Earlier, the Department of Public Health and Social Services through its director James Gillan, strongly opposed a senator’s proposal to draw 15 percent of money from Safe Streets Funds to construct a shelter and finding a site to build this.
The Safe Streets Funds is the government’s account used to collect fines from individuals who violate some of Guam’s driving laws. These should be deposited into a Homeless Assistance Fund beginning in fiscal 2017, according to Republican Sen. Brant McCreadie’s Bill 175-33.
Gillan said his agency doesn’t have the capacity to operate and manage the proposed homeless’ shelter./The Junction News Team
