Expanding Supportive Housing Beyond Walls: UHN’s Dunn House Model Grows

The University Health Network (UHN) has announced a $2-million expansion of its social medicine program aimed at helping unhoused individuals who frequently visit emergency rooms. This builds on the success of Dunn House, a Parkdale-based supportive housing site that has provided health care, social services, and stable housing to 51 people with complex needs.

Unlike traditional models that rely on constructing new housing, this expansion brings portable supports — such as psychiatric care, nursing, and personal support services — directly into existing housing across Toronto. The model skips the time-consuming construction process and accelerates aid delivery to people in urgent need, particularly older adults.

The expansion, in partnership with LOFT Community Services, will support up to 100 individuals transitioning out of shelters, encampments, or hospitals into long-term housing. These individuals are selected based on city-held data and medical/social complexity, with a focus on frequent ER users.

This shift in strategy comes at a time of crisis: over 28,000 people remain on Toronto’s supportive housing waitlist, and the median age of death for unhoused individuals remains tragically low — 36 for women and 50 for men, as of 2024.

The approach will also undergo academic evaluation through a study led by Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos at CAMH, ensuring data-backed advocacy for long-term scalability.

For more information about UHN’s supportive housing initiatives, visit: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/affordable-housing-developments/map-of-affordable-housing-locations/90-dunn-ave/