Hotels instead of homes: N.L. spending millions on emergency shelter

Sheltered, a CBC Investigates series, examines the housing crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador — telling the stories of the people living it, while scrutinizing the policies and politics behind it.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Newfoundland and Labrador government relied on a handful of private for-profit shelters and a single hotel to house people in emergency circumstances.

The money was all spent in St. John's. 

Since then, the number of hotels, bed and breakfasts and private shelters used by the province has exploded, and now touches nearly every corner in the province, from main cities to tiny towns, according to data obtained through access-to-information requests.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corp. spent more than $5.8 million in one year for 87 entities providing emergency accommodations. Data shows some individuals have stayed as long as 320 days straight — not including people who left a shelter only to return