University Health Network's Dunn House currently houses 51 residents. Early data on 48 of them show a 52 % drop in emergency‑room visits and a 79 % reduction in the length of hospital stays after they moved in.

Those 48 residents had generated $2.1 million in hospital costs in the 12 months before moving to Dunn House, but the programme saved $1.66 million in the year after they settled there.

Building on that success, the network plans three additional complexes that will accommodate roughly 300 people. The federal government will invest more than $25 million, the City of Toronto $19 million, and the UHN Foundation $20 million to make the expansion possible.

The housing model is designed around on‑site health care: residents have direct access to doctors, nurses and a range of other health professionals, a setup intended to improve individual health outcomes while easing pressure on hospitals.

Federal Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson praised the initiative as a humane, cost‑effective solution, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow echoed that sentiment, calling the model a win for the city and its most vulnerable citizens.

By giving homeless patients stable homes and immediate health support, the programme not only reduces costly emergency‑room use but also offers a healthier, more secure future for people who have long been caught in a cycle of crisis.