A philanthropic organization says it’s donating $25 million to establish a new system for tackling homelessness in Toronto that will use an evidence-based approach to move people off the streets and into supportive housing.
The Slaight Family Foundation says the money will go to a St. Michael’s Hospital research centre, as well as non-profit United Way Greater Toronto, to establish the Slaight Family Housing Lab — a program that aims to put roofs over people’s heads while providing wraparound services.
Dr. Stephen Hwang, director of St. Michael’s Hospital’s MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, says the new program draws on the centre’s research into the benefits of a housing-first approach.