Governor signs housing and maternity anti-discrimination bills into law
BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero signed into law bills 29-38 and 210-38 on Feb 10.
Bill 29-38, now P.L. 38-92, adds a new article to Chapter 48, of Division 1 Title 21, Guam Code Annotated which prohibits source of income discrimination for low-income tenants.
The measure makes it unlawful for landlords to refuse rent, alter terms, or advertise restrictions based on a person’s source of income.
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero signed Bill 29-38 and Bill 210-38 into law on Feb. 10. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Deputy Director of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority, Fernando Esteves, said at the signing ceremony the process was a nearly two year endeavor and its passage into law is a “great first step” in addressing the island’s housing crisis.
“This by no means, is a single solution towards addressing the housing crisis. This is one of many,” he said.
According to the January 2020 Guam Housing Study and Needs Assessment, nearly three-fourths (74.4%) of needed housing units are for households below the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income eligibility threshold for housing assistance. Furthermore, GHURA reported a 97% lease rate during fiscal 2023 for its 2,718 authorized housing vouchers.
The bill’s author, Sen. Sabina F. Flores, said vulnerable residents, like single mothers and those with disabilities, are now protected, now that the measure is included into the Fair Housing Act.
The governor highlighted the significance the housing crisis is on Guam and the impact it has how families/
“A family’s concern and biggest stress is, ‘Where do I keep my family safe?’ and ‘How protected is my family?’ and their priority, of course, is to provide housing and shelter and a roof over their heads,” she said.
Leon Guerrero said the affordability of homes have been artificially inflated over the past years.
The legislative text for P.L. 38-92 states that socioeconomic factors like the military buildup and a recovering tourism industry limit the local community’s access to housing.
Under the new law, GHURA is charged as the enforcement agency to investigate complaints and impose administrative penalties for violations.
Leon Guerrero also signed Bill 210-38 into law as P.L. 38-93, a measure requiring employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions and allows the Guam Department of Labor to investigate complaints of discrimination against pregnant women.
GDOL Director David Dell’Isola said the measure allows the department to develop rules and regulations and be able to enforce them through civil court.
Workplaces are also now required to post the new notice of worker’s rights in their workplace, which GDOL is preparing an updated consolidated workplace poster that will include all required labor law notices.
The bill’s author, Sen. Telo T. Taitague added that the legislation also extends to fathers who would need to care for their children. mbj
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