The provincial government says it never considered outright purchasing the Comfort Inn in St. John’s, rather than leasing it.

A partnership, announced earlier this week, sees government leasing the hotel for some $21 million over three years to use it for transitional housing.

In a statement, government says the project is meant to be an interim measure while more permanent solutions are developed.

As such, buying the facility was never considered, with government noting that purchasing it would come with added considerations such as long-term maintenance and liabilities.

They say the lease model allows them to mobilize quickly to respond to gaps in transitional housing, which has been called for by advocates.