TWO jobless and homeless individuals are camping on a beach in Garapan.
One of them, Norris Omengkar, was informed last week by the Department of Public Lands that he needed a permit to camp on a public beach.
The tent and other belongings of Norris Omengkar and his companion are seen on a beach in Garapan Tuesday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety learned that another homeless individual was staying in the area. The man, who declined to be identified, said like Omengkar, he is a U.S. citizen who lost his job as a marine sports company “beach boy” when the local tourism industry shut down in March 2020 amid the Covid-19 global pandemic.
He said he will seek rental assistance once the government announces that it is accepting applications.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres announced last month that the CNMI had received $10.4 million for rental assistance and utility relief through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program under the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.
The program in the CNMI will be administered by the Office of Grants Management under the Office of the Governor.
Variety was separately told that officials and staffers of the Office of Grants Management are undergoing training in preparation for administering the rental assistance program.
Variety learned that the $10.4 million rental assistance relief fund must be expended by the end of the year. Any amount not spent by the end of December must be returned to the federal grantor.
According to the governor’s office, the program aims to reduce evictions and keep citizens in stable homes, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance, plus an additional three months depending on the household’s circumstances.
Payments to existing housing-related arrears, as far back as March 13, 2020, will be prioritized before consideration of any future rent payments.
Once a household’s rental arrears are reduced, the program may only commit to providing future assistance for up to three months at a time.
Northern Marianas Housing Corp. records indicate that as of Jan. 25, 2020 there were 1,205 “unsheltered persons” in the CNMI.
