A trove of records released to the Herald offers some insight into the millions the state is spending on emergency shelter services, including on transportation, food, and case management for local families and migrants.

The documents, provided through a public records request, detail some of the spending decisions Gov. Maura Healey’s administration made over the past year as officials sought to quickly ramp up the number of families that could be served under a decades-old right-to-shelter law.

Here are a few key details:

No-bids: The state’s housing department has inked at least four no-bid contracts with a catering company, a Cape Cod cab business, a human services provider based out of Worcester, and a social services organization.
Mercedes Cab Company: The North Truro-based business is in line to receive $6.8 million from the state in exchange for offering thousands of families in shelter free transportation at 30 sites. The contract is active until April 13 and started Oct. 13, 2023.
Spinelli’s Ravioli: The state also agreed to a $10 million no-bid deal with East Boston’s Spinelli’s Ravioli to provide food at shelters housing local families and migrants. The contract expired March 31 but Spinelli’s and other caterers have since signed new deals after a competitive procurement process.
Shelter system: The state-run emergency shelter system was housing more than 7,500 families — which is estimated to be more than 20,000 people — as of Wednesday, according to state data.
Billion-dollar tab: Taxpayers are expected to shell out $932 million this fiscal year and $915 million in the next for emergency shelter services housing local families and migrants from other countries, according to the Healey administration.