Housing is Healthcare: Dunn House 2.0 advances to City Council

On Feb. 20, 2026, Toronto’s Housing Rights Advisory Committee met to discuss potential changes to its current RentSafeTO program, encouraging feedback to drive the refinements.

On Feb. 26, 2026, the City’s Planning and Housing Committee met to discuss multiple supportive housing developments — including a proposed second Dunn House in South Parkdale.

The proposed “Dunn House 2” would include 54 rent-geared-to-income housing units on land leased from the University Health Network (UHN). The original Dunn House — often described as a community in the meeting — is a four-storey building at 90 Dunn Ave.

It opened in Oct. 2024 with 51 supportive homes operated by Fred Victor in partnership with UHN, United Way and the City. 

Documenter Sebastian Tansil noted about 40 people in attendance. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Gord Perks and vice-chair Frances Nunziata. 

At the meeting, several members from the South Parkdale UHN Tenants Association (SPUHNTA) spoke about the impact of the proposed development which would require the demolition of existing tenant homes on UHN-owned lands. 

Esther Townshend, a member of SPUHNTA, said tenants support the creation of more supportive housing. She said that last fall, members were invited to contribute to a master planning process and co-create a community vision.

The community vision included an opportunity for supportive housing to foster community connection, as well as to focus on the agency and need of residents, she added. 

However, Townshend said the announcement of Dunn House 2 on Jan. 20 surprised the community. Residents lived in uncertainty for a month about whether their homes would be demolished, she said. 

She closed her deputation by noting that the City and UHN staff assured residents that displaced people will be offered replacement housing nearby. 

Hannah Foulger, another member of the tenants association, also expressed support for the expanded supportive housing — provided the project follows the collaboratively developed design principles. 

Foulger noted that development will have some impact on their life. Specifically, they said that the construction of the first Dunn House obstructed their view of the skyline and that they believe Dunn House two will do the same. However, Foulger said that housing is a human right and is accepting of the changes in order for more people to receive adequate housing.

William Payne, another deputant, has lived in UHN housing since 1993. He lived in a house slated for demolition later this year, he said.

Payne said that, over the past three decades, tenants have lived as a community of mutual support. He said that he contributed to the master planning process and mentioned a report that indicates current tenants are a legal obligation for the City and UHN.

Claire Huang Kinsley reinforced tenant support for Dunn House 2.0 if conditions align with the shared vision and ensures that displaced residents are properly accommodated. She said that she and her tenant association members attended a meeting recently in which a handout was given indicating that UHN has met with tenants being displaced by construction and are being fully supported.

However, tenants said that they had not been told prior to that meeting that their home was being slated for demolition. Kinsley asked the City to listen closely to residents and uphold the co-created design principles.

Several deputants mentioned the tight-knit community and support neighbours have had for one another on these UHN-owned properties. James Loney said that separating people from their place and community risks something that would not be easily rebuilt. 

Jason Miles, a Dunn House resident, said “housing is healthcare.” Before moving in, he struggled with homelessness, addiction and trauma while simply trying to survive. Dunn House gave him the opportunity to focus on recovery, he said. 

Ahsen Bhatti, of the Moss Park Coalition, supported the item and called for similar developments in other neighbourhoods. 

Coun. Perks noted that deputations on supportive housing are often centred on mistrust or stigma toward future residents, but he described the tone of the speeches as a “rare and precious gift.” 

He also said he was disappointed that there was not an official UHN representative to speak at the meeting. 

In the end, the committee passed the proposed resolutions. It recommended that City Council authorize up to $8.1 million in capital grant funding from the 2026 to 2035 Capital Budget and Plan to support Dunn House 2.0. 

The committee further recommended the Council adopting the shared vision and design principles for the redevelopment of UHN-owned lands in South Parkdale. This item will now go to full City Council for final consideration.

Key takeaways

• The proposed “Dunn House 2” would include 54 rent-geared-to-income housing units on land leased from the University Health Network (UHN). 

• Deputants all supported the creation and development of the supportive housing project but under the condition that their co-created design principles are upheld.

• The items will now go to City Council for final approval.

On-the-ground observations from our documenter, SEBASTIAN TANSIL

I intimately understand the pain of being left out of community conversations about the future of your very own housing security. 

One day in 2021, one of our neighbours (in Kensington Market) told us that it’s really unfortunate that your home is undergoing plans for redevelopment with the City. Shocked and confused, we asked her how she knew this. She said that every single neighbour on our street got a mailed notice for a development application at our home on Lippincott Street but they seem to have conveniently left us out of the loop.

A public meeting at the Toronto and East York Committee of Adjustment occurred on March 23, 2022 without our knowledge. Continuing to stay connected with my neighbours without fear of being displaced from my home mobilized me to start caring about the development application process at the City of Toronto. 

The City of Toronto estimated that for every one new affordable unit built in Toronto, 15 existing private affordable units are lost. Even with the promise of rental replacement, it has been documented that not every neighbour who gets demovicted ends up receiving a guarantee of a future affordable place in the neighbourhood. In Sept. 2024, I observed how empty land is used for profit, but new affordable housing comes at the cost of pre-existing supportive housing. It makes me wonder whether the City’s commitment to build more affordable units also equally respects its need to protect pre-existing affordable units. 

I have been tracking the developments of a second Dunn House since my last Documenters’ article in June 2025 at the Toronto Housing Rights & Advisory Committee. As a volunteer at the drop-in at the Church of St.Stephen’s-in-the-Fields at Kensington Market, the concept of social medicine housing caught my attention as someone who regularly witnesses the healthcare system sending homeless hospital patients to our church given they have no where else to discharge them to.

I also was informed of the demoviction impacts of the second Dunn House from my connections living on Close Avenue in South Parkdale. I also was interested in this item as someone with lived experience being kept out of the loop on development proposals related to their own housing. 

Prior to the meeting, tension between two groups was reported. 

I received an email from Diana Chan McNally, a housing organizer, who asked anyone available to depute at the meeting or send a letter in support of replacing social housing at Swansea Mews. In opposition to the supportive housing, the email mentioned that the displeasure of some neighbours in the area were worried the revitalization plan for Swansea Mews didn’t have enough parking and would bring too much density.

CHECK YOUR FACTS

The Green Line‘s story on the first Dunn House

Dunn House Phase 2

This article was edited on March 7, 2026.