GHURA Unveils New Affordable Homes for Guam Families
Ten Newly Renovated and Converted Affordable Rental Housing Available for Guamanian Families

Ribbon cutting ceremony representing official opening of five new rental homes in Merizo, Guam. (L-R: Luis Paulino, GHURA Commissioner; Angel Cruz, Project Contractor (WECCO); Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam; Tina Muna Barnes, Senator; and Michael J. Duenas, GHURA Acting Executive Director.)

The beginning of December marks another cause for celebration for the Guam Housing Urban Renewal Authority and Guam community. The Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA) unveiled ten newly renovated homes available for low- to moderate-income families looking for an affordable place to call home.

On December 9, 2012, GHURA introduced five affordable housing units in Talofofo. Just a week prior, they unveiled another five affordable homes in Merizo. These ten units are part of GHURA's Renaissance Rental Housing program and Governor Eddie Baza Calvo's, Guam's governor, Affordable Housing Initiative. The Initiative details the Governor's five-year strategic plan to address Guam's need for affordable housing including a goal of an additional 3,000 affordable housing units by 2017.

Before

After

The renovations and rehabilitation of these properties are made possible, in part, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds. These units were built in the 1970s to house teachers recruited from off-island. Due to years of deterioration and neglect and the lack of maintenance, these homes became uninhabitable and ultimately abandoned.

Results

In October, GHURA introduced newly renovated homes that were once abandoned in Sagan Linahyan Dededo. GHURA teamed up with Guam Housing Corporation (GHC) to renovate these homes. Partnerships and renovations such as these help secure safe and affordable housing for Guamanian families and provide them with a place to build their Guamanian Dream.

For more information on CDBG funds, please contact Mark Chandler, HUD Community Planning and Development Director.

For more information on the GHURA affordable housing program, please contact GHURA (http://www.ghura.org/).

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