Hagåtña, Guam – Governor Lou Leon Guerrero today reiterated her administration’s commitment to deploy over $100 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to power and water infrastructure in Mangilao. These investments will immediately benefit current residents and unlock much-needed housing growth to support Guam’s community and serve the future new medical complex.
“These federal dollars are obligated and must be used as planned—for Mangilao’s utility backbone that serves our people today and enables new homes for tomorrow,” said Governor Leon Guerrero. “That work will continue.”
Meeting posture & legal context
This morning, the Attorney General mentioned on a talk radio show that he wanted to meet with the Governor without her legal counsel present. Because the Governor and the Attorney General are active litigants on this very issue, the Governor cannot meet with the Attorney General without her attorneys present. Any engagement will occur with counsel to preserve the integrity of the court process and protect the People’s interests.
ARP funds: obligation deadline has passed—no “re-programming”
The administration emphasized that re-programming ARP State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) is not possible now that the federal obligation deadline has passed. Under U.S. Treasury guidance, all SLFRF funds had to be obligated by December 31, 2024; unobligated funds must be returned to Treasury, and changes after that date are tightly restricted. Guam’s ARP utility projects were properly obligated before the deadline and must be carried out as scoped.
What the funds do: power & water for Mangilao residents—and new homes
The Mangilao buildout includes power and water system upgrades, such as a new substation and related improvements, that increase reliability for current residents and prepare service capacity for additional homes near the planned medical campus. Earlier this year, the administration and utilities announced ARP-funded power investments to bolster Mangilao’s grid resilience and serve the future medical complex.
Why housing capacity matters now
Independent analyses and recent announcements show Guam faces significant housing needs from both civilian growth and the military buildup. A government housing assessment identified thousands of additional units needed to relieve pent-up demand—about 6,650 units in 2020–2025—with further needs through 2030 and beyond. The U.S. Navy and Joint Region Marianas recently launched an initiative to secure approximately 2,400 new housing units for service members and families, much of it targeted to Guam’s central region—underscoring the island-wide shortage and the need to bring new, serviced housing online quickly.
“Mangilao’s utility upgrades are a housing policy in addition to serving the construction of the new hospital and medical complex,” Governor Leon Guerrero said. “By putting pipes, power, and pressure where homes can be built, we lower the barriers to residential development—helping families in Mangilao today and adding the capacity we need.”
Collaboration continues—with counsel
The Governor thanked Majority Leader Senator Jesse A. Lujan for the ongoing dialogue and affirmed continued coordination with legislative leadership and the utilities to keep projects moving. “We are ready to meet and to work—with counsel present, given the litigation—so we can deliver reliable infrastructure, more housing, and a new standard of care for our island,” the Governor said.
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