A philanthropic organization announces a $25 million donation to create an innovative, evidence-based system addressing homelessness in Toronto. The initiative focuses on transitioning individuals from streets to supportive housing with comprehensive services.
Slaight Family Housing Lab: A Housing-First Approach
The funds support the establishment of the Slaight Family Housing Lab through collaboration between a St. Michael’s Hospital research centre and United Way Greater Toronto. This program prioritizes permanent housing while delivering tailored wraparound support.
Dr. Stephen Hwang, director of the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital, highlights the lab’s reliance on research-backed housing-first strategies. The lab partners with the City of Toronto to locate available supportive housing units. Case management teams prepare street-dwelling individuals by securing identification and resolving tax issues for eligibility.
Ongoing Support and Long-Term Stability
Toronto’s social housing waitlist exceeds 100,000 names in 2025, yet Hwang remains confident the program will house 300 people over five years, drawing from past city collaborations. Support continues post-housing with case managers providing access to clinical care, addiction treatment, employment services, and more to prevent returns to homelessness.
Heather McDonald, president and CEO of United Way Greater Toronto, emphasizes the lab’s commitment: “doing whatever it takes to get people into housing,” with customized responses to individual needs. Key partners include Na-Me-Res, supporting Indigenous men, and Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services for women experiencing homelessness.
Reducing Strain on Health Care and Scalable Solutions
The initiative targets Toronto’s overburdened health-care system, as homeless individuals visit emergency departments at higher rates than the general population. A successful precedent, Dunn House, offers supportive housing for frequent ER users and benefits the University Health Network.
Hwang views the lab as progress against chronic homelessness: “If we’re going to invest more funds, we need to invest them in long-term solutions, not in short-term Band-Aids,” he states. “That’s why this $25-million gift is so wonderful because it’s doing both of those things. It’s addressing urgent needs but it’s also creating long-term solutions.”
The lab aims to develop a replicable model for other Canadian municipalities. Homelessness in Ontario worsens, with a reports the Association of Municipalities of Ontario estimating 85,000 people homeless in 2025—a 7.8 percent rise from the previous year.
The Slaight Family Foundation, established in 2008 by late Canadian radio pioneer Allan Slaight, underscores the urgency of Toronto’s crisis and backs frontline efforts to combat it.
