Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government, City of Toronto and University Health Network are expanding a supportive housing model that will create about 200 new homes for people experiencing homelessness and complex health needs.
The expansion builds on Dunn House in Parkdale, Canada’s first social medicine supportive housing project, and Spring House, a 54-unit development now in the early stages of development.
The first of three new sites will provide about 80 deeply affordable supportive homes near Toronto Western Hospital.
A non-profit housing provider will operate the site after being selected through a city-led process carried out with UHN.
The federal government, through Build Canada Homes, is contributing more than $25 million to the project. The City of Toronto is proposing more than $19 million in funding and financial incentives, subject to approval by Toronto City Council.
The UHN Foundation will contribute another $20 million.
CreateTO, the city’s strategic real estate agency, will identify locations for two additional social medicine housing sites near Toronto Western Hospital. Details on those projects will be released later.
The social medicine model is based on the idea that factors such as housing stability, food security and access to support services can directly affect health.
The new housing will target people experiencing homelessness, older adults and people with complex health and social needs. Residents will have access to onsite health and social services and connections to primary care and other healthcare supports.
UHN will work with the city’s shelter and street outreach teams to identify people who are unhoused and frequently use emergency departments within the UHN network.
The approach is also intended to reduce demand on the shelter system and emergency and acute-care services.
Early results from Dunn House showed a 52 per cent reduction in emergency department visits and a 79 per cent reduction in hospital bed days during residents’ first year after moving in.
The reductions were associated with about $2 million in health-care cost savings, including approximately $413,000 from fewer emergency department visits and $1.66 million from fewer hospital bed days.
Less than five per cent of tenants across the city’s supportive housing portfolio returned to the shelter system within their first year, including residents of Dunn House.
Spring House is the second phase of the social medicine housing model. CreateTO is leading the project, which will provide 54 studio homes for seniors and older adults experiencing chronic homelessness who are frequent users of UHN emergency services.
Spring House is expected to begin construction in late 2026.
“The Dunn House model is working,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said. “It’s helping people build stable lives, access vital resources, and stay off the street and out of the emergency room.”
Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said the investment will provide supportive housing for people with the greatest needs.
At UHN, president and CEO Dr. Kevin Smith said the expansion will build on the hospital’s work combining housing, health care and social services.
The latest projects will bring the social medicine housing model to about 200 additional homes across three sites.
