Overview of Guam’s Continuum of Care

On Guam, the Continuum of Care system is made up primarily of an ad hoc committee of homeless providers, mainstream service providers and community stakeholders. The system has evolved through community experiences, economic trends and community awareness of a growing and diverse homeless population in our island. Throughout the ninety’s, ongoing dialogue among non-profit organizations, government, and other public and private agencies concerning homeless issues have centered around the need to invest in a population seen as "at-risk", along with existing homeless families and individuals in the community.

Organizations involved in Guam’s Continuum of Care Catholic Social Service, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Department of Public Health and Social Services, Habitat for Humanity, Guam Developmental Disabilities Council, The Salvation Army, Guam Police Department, Guma Mami, Inc., Sanctuary, Inc., and the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority. Meetings are held at least quarterly to coordinate efforts, strengthen member links, and design innovative programs and services to combat issues that may lead to homelessness. Achievements have been made through community workshops, education / prevention campaigns, and focus group meetings conducted by both individual providers and agencies who are active participants in the homeless provider consortium focus groups.

Our local system for meeting the needs of homeless individuals and families is a strong community-based system that provides outreach and assessment, education/prevention services, unique emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent housing, and supportive services. Over the last four years, consortium members have focused on strengthening individual non-profit programs and services with the use of U.S. HUD Community Planning and Development Division funding. Sources include the Community Development Block Grant, Home Investment Partnership Grant, and Emergency Shelter Grant, all of which are administered by the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA). Projects include funding rehabilitation and new construction projects for Catholic Social Service, Guma Mami, Inc., Sanctuary, Inc., Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse to expand their current client capacity for emergency and transitional shelters. Projects also include public service projects for The sSalvation Army, Catholic Social Service, and Sanctuary, Inc. to implement new or expand on existing supportive service programs for homeless individuals and families. GHURA has also been working with the local public housing communities to develop family self-sufficiency programs, JOBS program, and G.E.D diploma and associates degree opportunities for individuals and families with the Guam Community College. Non-profit members have also been working to re-evaluate their community objectives and service networks by developing community awareness and outreach programs.