Governor seeks to abort AG’s sleep shelter program for Guam's homeless

Adelup challenges 'Dougnity Project' in court

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The Office of the Attorney General’s plan to open a temporary sleep shelter for Guam’s drug-dependent homeless individuals hit a snag on Friday following a lawsuit filed by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, who sought to stop the project’s launch.

The OAG’s Project Dignity, which seeks to offer temporary lodging for “meal, shower, sleep and work,” is scheduled to open at the Tropical Palm Hotel on Monday.

Leon Guerrero petitioned the court to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions to stop the project, alleging that the $1.1 million contract with the Tamuning hotel was illegal because it was obtained without her approval and signature.

“The contract for Project Dignity has been in her inbox since 2 p.m. today, April 25, 2025. We’re still waiting on her signature," Attorney General Douglas Moylan said.

"This marks another failure on the governor’s long list of inaction with our education, healthcare, public safety, as she takes a swipe at helping our homeless by blocking this AG’s Office and the Opioid Recovery Advisory Council from offering the homeless a chance to become productive residents.”

At 12:47 p.m. on Friday, the Superior Court issued a temporary order restraining on the contract. Moylan said Judge John Terlaje rescinded the TRO "filed in error” after conducting a Zoom hearing at 3:25 p.m.

A preliminary hearing on the governor’s lawsuit is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday.

“It has been clear since we received copies of the Attorney General’s contracts that for years he has been secretly skirting the law that explicitly requires my approval before those contracts are executed. Now he is openly flouting the law,” Leon Guerrero said.

“The worst part, of course, is that he threatened to prosecute innocent DOA employees for ‘corruption’ just for asking him to comply with the law. I want to be clear: this bullying cannot and will not be tolerated in this administration,"" she added.

“The true irony is that the attorney general threatened to prosecute DOA officials for trying to stop the Attorney General from committing blatant acts of corruption,” added Adelup Director of Communications Krystal Paco-San Agustin.

She described Project Dignity as a "vanity project" that "will have no long-term impact on addressing homelessness on our island. It should really be called the 'Dougnity Project.'” 

Moylan said the project was sanctioned by the Opioid Recovery Advisory Council, which voted on Aug. 29, 2024 to provide help to the homeless for the next 365 days. 

“The governor seems intent on stopping help to the poor and homeless that she has professed she wants to help,” Moylan said.

“The judge will decide whether to stop the project from going forward, and denied issuing an order today.  The court wishes to see legal arguments of counsel before conducting a hearing and making his decision on a temporary restraining order.”