Corner Brook needs permanent solution to housing problems, says mayor
A former hotel is being used as an emergency shelter
The grey and black building at the end of Main Street in Corner Brook, N.L. is showing its age.
The former Hotel Corner Brook was a staple for visitors to the city for decades. But the building's clientele has changed. Most of the rooms are now used for people who have nowhere else to go.
Zachary Leprieur, 28, has been living there for 11 months.
"It's definitely not a hotel, its a shelter," he told CBC News.
Leprieur spends his days walking around West and Main streets. He says since the building changed ownership in the fall, the restaurant and bar inside closed. Staff now prepare his meals.
"Yeah, they are packaged. They are not very healthy," he said.
Leprieur is from Corner Brook, and grew up in the west coast city.
He said he became homeless after getting evicted.
Just doors away at city hall, Mayor Jim Parsons says he has noticed a change in the downtown.
"We see more people begging for money, committing petty crimes. We have been immune to violent crime and large problems. But it's something we could nip in the bud," Parsons said.
Increase in crime
Parsons believes Corner Brook is a safe place to live, but the changes are noticeable.
City enforcement officers recently removed every parking meter in the downtown area because more than half were vandalized over the winter months.
The RNC says since 2022 there has been an increase in property crimes like theft and damage.
"Our officers have increased patrols in that area and we look to have a higher visibility to have an impact on any type [of] petty crime activity such as property damage, theft," said Const. James Cadigan, the RNC's public communications officer.
Parsons says he has met with people like Leprieur in his office, and he is worried that some who are living at Hotel Corner Brook are not getting the help they need.
"I'm sure some of them are bored, some of them have mental issues, some of them have addictions issues and there doesn't seem to be the right wrap-around supports that are necessary for this kind of population," he said.
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The hotel isn't owned by the provincial government, but the province does pay $1.8 million a year to rent the rooms. The nightly fee is $200, and that includes a standard hotel room with a washroom and television and three meals a day.
"The hotel has a robust staffing complement, including security and floor staff, and a security system that monitors activity inside and outside the facility," said Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation media relations manager Nancy Walsh in an emailed statement.
"There is a housing support worker on site, and N.L. Housing recently hired a dedicated social worker in the western region to work with individuals experiencing homelessness."
The number of rooms N.L. Housing books at the hotel vary from day to day. The 39-room hotel is not accepting any outside guests.
The hotel's new owner and manager would not respond to CBC's requests for comment.
Permanent solution needed
This type of arrangement is not new. Hotel rooms have been used as emergency shelters for years in the city.
But not to this extent, says Parsons, who would like to see a more permanent solution to the housing issue in Corner Brook.
"One year, two years, is too long to have it operate like this," he said.
But housing advocate Jade Kearley says there is nowhere else for people to go.
"I know we see more visible homelessness and the panhandling and folks that are in need, but that's not necessarily the folks that are in our shelters," said Kearley with the Community Mental Health Initiative.
"What residents need to know is there is nothing really affordable in our community. We are struggling to find affordable units for people that need housing. Right now, the current rate for rent for a one bedroom is $850. It's really not affordable for anyone who is in a fixed income or low income."
She says since the hotel's change in ownership, services have improved, but the solution in her eyes is more affordable housing in the city.
"It's not ideal, obviously, to be living in an emergency shelter, but we need one and so they are trying the best they can to help the individuals move on," she said.
Long-term plan
As for Leprieur, he has to call N.L. Housing every 30 days to extend his stay. He says he would like to have his own apartment so he could cook his own food.
"There's a scattered number that have been there as long as I have amongst all of us. We are like family here, we grew up together we come from the same place," he said. "Nobody gives anybody any problems."
The provincial government has promised 50 provincially owned housing units in Corner Brook by 2026 at a cost of $20 million.
The multi-unit buildings will have a combination of one and two bedroom homes.
N.L. Housing is in the process of organizing meetings with the mayor and community partners to discuss a coordinated response to housing and homelessness in the Corner Brook area.
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