Director Raymond F.Y. Blas
Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority
Community Planning and Development Office,
GCIC Building, 414 West Soledad Ave, Suite 306,
Hagatna, GU 96910
Dear Mr Blas
I want to take the opportunity to add my comment with regard to the projects GHURA intends to fund this year with Community Development Funds. With the impending Military buildup, housing is going to be an increasing challenge facing our low-income population. There are high numbers reflected in the homeless count and many of our non-profit agencies are receiving increasing requests for assistance by people in need. We feel therefore that it should be an urgent priority to expand the inventory of housing this year. We urge GHURA to keep this focus a fundamental criterion for selecting CDBG projects this year.
While we agree with the selection of building a new facility for Alee Shelter, it does look that this proposal will be replacing the old facility and therefore will probably not increase capacity of the program serving that target population. The other proposals selected this year may help sustain operations but again will not increase capacity for the growing “in-need” population on Guam.
With limited Federal funds available for community development to address significant concerns and respond to the gaps and unmet needs, the allocation of 26% of the CDBG funds for a basketball facility in Macheche will not alleviate the pressing burden facing agencies and NGO’s serving the island population at large.
Effective community development must address areas that will promote economic development, and help build capacity of our NGO’s to serve an expanding population. We urge GHURA to reconsider the proposals in order to further prepare for the increasing burdens that the impending military buildup will create. It is inevitable that the population explosion Guam is anticipating will increase the number of people facing social crisis on Guam.
Please fund the Oasis Empowerment Center as they work to rebuild lives and transition islanders into productive citizens. The Oasis menu of services is helping create jobs for women, the disabled and ex-offenders. Clients are getting back into school, working, and rebuilding their families and making Guam a better place. Their alcohol prevention work in schools is having tangible results.
This is the true intent of Community Development funds. By investing in recovery services Oasis provides, each dollar can conservatively be multiplied into $12 dollars of value toward community benefits. This will maximize the work of building a stronger island.
Sincerely
