Dededo Mayor's Office begins encampment cleanup

Cleanup is underway at the homeless encampment site across the Micronesia Mall.

Maintenance workers from the Dededo Mayor's Office worked their way through what is left over after Government of Guam officials stormed the private property yesterday. 

John Ngiraiguuch said the cleanup started this morning. 

"We just started today because yesterday there was all the processing to be done," he said. "And there were people around. So we don’t want to clean anything up when there’s people moving around. It's safer for the people." 

Several junk cars, multiple bags of trash, push carts filled with cans and a billowing canopy are among the items left behind.

The Department of Public Works was also on site to transport the junk cars to Global Recycling Center. 

When asked on his thoughts on the controversial homeless relocation initiative, Ngiraiguuch said this: "Well, it’s good for them. They’re going to have a nice place to live. If they accept all the government assistance that the government got to give. Cuz a lot of them, they don’t really like the rules and regulations. They want to live free. Not to be told to do anything or whatever."

Also helping to clean from the Dededo Mayor’s Office, maintenance worker Julian Taeza who admitted that the situation is difficult.

"It’s sad but it’s also good because it’s not. We’re just relocating them," he said. "My thoughts are this was not that bad because they were organized  I'm just here to do my job."

Throughout the week, community members have been taking to our social media pages to voice their concerns calling for a more permanent solution such as more affordable housing and questioning the mobilization of swat officers.