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Investing.com -- University Health Network is set to double a permanent housing initiative designed to alleviate the systemic pressure on Toronto’s overextended emergency departments. According to an article from The Canadian Press, the hospital will replicate its "Dunn House" model by constructing 54 new apartments on a hospital-owned site.
Preliminary data reported on by The Canadian Press indicates that the current 48 residents reduced their emergency room visits by 52% in the year following their move. Furthermore, these individuals saw a 79% drop in the length of their hospital stays when admission was required.
"Housing is health," said Dr. Andrew Boozary, director of UHN’s Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, who conceptualized the program seven years ago. He noted that discharging patients into instability prevents them from storing medication or recovering from surgeries effectively.
The expansion is a collaborative effort involving $21 million from the federal government and $10 million from the City of Toronto. Ontario has also committed $2.6 million in annual operating funding to provide residents with direct access to a multidisciplinary medical team.
Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson emphasized the need to scale this integrated model to help thousands of Canadians find affordable homes. "We need to make it simpler, faster to get these projects off the ground," Robertson stated regarding the urgency of the build.
The initiative comes as provincial data reveals a worsening crisis, with nearly 85,000 Ontarians experiencing homelessness in 2025. This figure represents a significant increase from 2024 and a 50% rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow praised the project as a critical intervention for those trapped in a loop of medical and residential instability. "This is the model that breaks the cycle of homelessness, sickness, and despair," she reportedly remarked during the announcement.
The success of the Dunn House model suggests that social medicine investments can generate substantial savings for the broader healthcare system. By addressing the root cause of frequent ER visits, the program provides a blueprint for managing chronic health issues through housing stability.
