MaRS Mornings - Why housing is healthcare

Decades of research show a clear link between housing instability and poor health outcomes. Eviction increases the risk of hospitalization, worsens chronic illness and places immense strain on our already overburdened healthcare systems.

As Toronto faces compounding pressures across housing affordability, homelessness and healthcare capacity, the definition of “patient care” is rapidly evolving. Traditionally, healthcare systems have stopped at the hospital doors. Today, leaders in medicine are asking a more fundamental question: what if housing itself is healthcare?

Join us on February 26 to hear from Dr. Andrew Boozary, primary care physician and executive director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at UHN, in conversation with Manjula Selvarajah, host of .

Dr. Boozary is at the forefront of a radical shift in Canadian medicine: the movement to treat housing not as a social service, but as a medical necessity. At the University Health Network, he is pioneering social medicine approaches including Ontario’s first hospital-based homelessness and eviction prevention program.

Together, Boozary and Selvarajah will explore how healthcare systems can intervene earlier, think beyond clinical walls and improve outcomes by rethinking the role of housing in care.

Agenda:

9:00 a.m.: Registration, Coffee & Networking

9:10 a.m.: Welcome

9:15 a.m.: Fireside Chat: Dr. Andrew Boozary & Manjula Selvarajah

9:45 a.m.: Audience Q&A

10:00 a.m.: Networking

Speaker:

Dr. Andrew Boozary

Dr. Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and founding executive director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. As the driving force behind Dunn House, Canada’s first social medicine housing initiative, he has been a leader in integrating health care and housing to address the social determinants of health. His work focuses on advancing health equity and improving outcomes for underserved populations.Dr. Boozary completed his medical training at the University of Toronto and health policy training at Princeton and Harvard. He has served in senior advisory roles for policymakers at various levels of government, shaping public policy on primary care reform and pharmacare. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review and holds the Dalla Lana Professorship in Policy Innovation at the University of Toronto.Recognized for his impact in health equity and social justice, Dr. Boozary is a Clarkson Laureate for Public Service and recipient of the Louise Lemieux-Charles Health System Leadership Award. His writing and analysis appear in high-impact academic journals and major media outlets. In 2025, he was appointed Clinical Lead, Population Health at Ontario Health, where he continues to drive innovation at the intersection of health systems and social policy.

Moderator:

Manjula Selvarajah

Manjula Selvarajah is a national columnist for CBC Radio’s 20-plus radio stations across the country and a guest host for CBC’s national and local shows, including Day 6 and Fresh Air. She is the host of the MaRS Discovery District podcast Solve for X, and a frequent emcee and moderator with repeat speaking appearances at Elevate and Collision. Formerly, she was on the executive team of a now-acquired Toronto-based startup and held a degree in Engineering from Queen’s University. She sits on the board of the nonprofit Scientists in School.

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