Dunn House plans a second supportive housing building in Parkdale

Governments announced funding to build a second Dunn House in Parkdale with 54 supportive units; federal capital of $21.6 million and up to $2.6 million a year from Ontario were pledged for the project and services.

A second Dunn House was announced by government officials on Tuesday as a replication of a Parkdale supportive housing project that opened about 16 months ago. The original site provided 51 affordable units with on-site supports for people who frequently used emergency rooms and hospital wards. The project is run in partnership by the University Health Network and social agency Fred Victor. Officials said the new building will have 54 supportive units, will prioritize seniors, and will be built with modular construction on hospital-owned land between Dunn and Close Avenues; the development will be led by Toronto city hall. Key facts: - Funding includes $21.6 million in capital from Ottawa's Build Canada Homes program and up to $2.6 million each year from the Ontario government to pay for ongoing support services. - Preliminary data from the first Dunn House showed declines in both emergency-room visits and in-patient stays and forecasted more than $2 million in health-care savings in one year, including roughly $400,000 in ER cost avoidance and about $1.65 million in hospital bed-day savings. - The first Dunn House has been described as the University Health Network's first "social medicine" project and is operated in partnership with Fred Victor. - The inaugural year had challenges, including some eviction filings and instances where tenants were hospitalized against their will, and staff reported a difficult transition at times. - Officials said they hope to move quickly; Parkdale-High Park’s MP said he would like to see shovels in the ground this year. Summary: Officials presented the second Dunn House as an extension of a model that, according to preliminary evidence, reduced hospital use and produced projected savings for the health-care system. Federal and provincial funding has been confirmed and the city plans modular construction led by Toronto city hall. Officials expressed a desire to begin construction soon, but no firm timeline was provided.