Minister Wall Responds to Auditor General’s Report on Horizons at 106

The Honourable Joedy Wall, Minister of Housing, was pleased to receive the Auditor General’s report into the Transitional Supportive Living Initiative that came to be known as Horizons at 106.

The Auditor General’s review, which was first requested on July 31, 2025, by Premier Wakeham when he was the Leader of the Opposition, validates our concerns with how the lease was procured.

In her report, the Auditor General found:

  • Government’s response was reactive rather than planned as a result of the tent encampment across from Confederation Building, which eventually moved to the site of the Colonial Building.
  • Despite pointing to the urgent need for transitional housing, the former government did not use an emergency or urgency exemption to procure the facility, which would have only allowed a 12-month contract. Instead, they used an exemption for a particular space, which allowed them to sign a three-year contract without a competitive process.
  • From February 15, 2024, to December 31, 2025, total expenditures reached $24 million. The former government publicly touted the price tag for this period as $13.8 million.
  • A cap was put on the number of residents at 75, leaving 30 rooms vacant at a cost of $1.5 million annually.
  • There were 34 individuals who transitioned to independent permanent housing between June 2024 and December 2025, resulting in an average total cost of approximately $706,000 per person.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation has instructed the operator to cease intake at Horizons at 106, and the Provincial Government will work with community partners on comprehensive transition plans for all residents of Horizons as of December 31, 2026. For some, this will mean moving on to independent housing as planned when they entered Horizons.For others, it will mean placement in a supportive model delivered in newly renovated NLHC homes, private market rentals supported by Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Benefits, or other forms of housing. Models like this exist currently in Newfoundland and Labrador.

All residents of Horizons at 106 are classified as NLHC tenants and will be processed as transfers. These individuals will be matched with supports from community partners in their homes.

The earlier request for proposals issued to replace Horizons, which was released in August 2025 under the former government, has been cancelled. Three proposals were received, only two qualified and neither were deemed suitable as an effective replacement for the program.

Budget 2026 included $12.7 million over two years to repair NLHC homes, which includes funding to hire more than 20 maintenance staff, as well as $4 million to increase the amount of available Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Benefits by approximately 500.

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“We were clear since before we formed government that the lease for 106 Airport Road was an example of Liberal waste, secrecy and insider connections. This report, first requested by Premier Wakeham, validates that. Discussions are ongoing with community partners on a solution that focuses on the people supported by Horizons. I am confident we will put in place appropriate supports for those leaving Horizons in December.”
Honourable Joedy Wall
Minister of Housing

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