Stephen Hwang

Physician, Research Scientist on Homelessness & Health, Director of MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions @MAP_Health @UnityHealthTO @UofTMedicine

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

I'm proud to support @FairRent_On . Housing is a health issue, and full rent control will improve the health and well-being of Ontarians.

[Fair Rent Ontario @FairRent_On]

🎞️ Watch the latest Fair Rent Ontario Vignette - Doctor @StephenHwang on why Rent Control is a Healthcare Issue:

🤔 What does rent control have to do with healthcare? Everything. Lack of rent control and skyrocketing rents harm our communities' health while driving up costs for Ontario’s healthcare system.

🔁 Every week, healthcare professionals like Dr. Hwang see patients whose health deteriorates because of unaffordable housing. Families are being forced into impossible choices between rent and health.

🏥 Key Health Impacts:
🟣 Children’s Health: Families forced to move repeatedly or face eviction are seeing children experience emotional and behavioural problems, depression, academic struggles, and drug use.
🔶 Long-Term Harm: The health impacts on children from unstable housing aren’t short-lived—they affect their well-being for generations.
🟣 Homelessness & Health Costs: High rents lead to evictions and homelessness, worsening pre-existing health conditions. Shelters and emergency healthcare systems bear the enormous costs.

💬 Key Takeaway: "Simply put, the lack of rent control is harming the health of our children in ways that will last for generations to come, it's increasing homelessness and healthcare costs, and it's having tremendous adverse impacts on our communities as a whole."

📢 It’s time to protect the well-being of our children and communities, reduce preventable healthcare costs, and tackle homelessness at its root.

👉 Join Dr. Hwang in uniting with us for full rent control and building a future where all renters have stable homes and secure futures!

🔗 Join the movement today: https://t.co/QmQSPkAyjX #DemandFairRent

[Fair Rent Ontario @FairRent_On]

📢 Introducing Fair Rent Ontario! 📢
Fair Rent Ontario is a diverse coalition sounding the alarm on unfair rents in Ontario by demanding a change to the rules around rent control.

Rents have climbed 55% in the past decade. 52% of Ontario renters live in unacceptable housing. Renters are on the brink and the province must help.

This crisis is driven by unfair rules like:
•The 2018 Rent Control Exemption, allowing unlimited rent increases in new units;
•Vacancy Decontrol, enabling major rent hikes once a tenant moves out; and
•Above Guideline Increases, permitting landlords to raise rents more than the limit.

These unfair rules drive cycles of economic evictions, renovictions, and displacements. All of it leaves renters with unstable homes and insecure futures. 😰 💸

✊ Fair Rent Ontario is here to demand change. We’re committed to winning full rent control across the province and we want you to be part of it!
🎉 Join Us for the Fair Rent Ontario Launch! 🎉
🗓 Nov. 26
⏰ 1:00PM – 2:30PM
🔹 Learn about Fair Rent Ontario and Rent Control
🔹 Hear from tenants, healthcare experts, community advocates, and policy specialists on the importance of rent control for all communities
🔹 Learn how you can support the movement for fair rent in Ontario
💪 Let’s unite for full rent control. It’s time for a future where all renters enjoy stable homes and secure futures!
🔗 Register Now: https://t.co/QmQSPkAyjX
📲 Stay connected in the movement for Full Rent Control – Follow us at
@FairRent_On
#FullRentControlNow #FairRentOntario

[Wency Leung @wencyleung]

You're not gonna want to miss this!! This is @TheLocal_TO at its finest--stellar writing, reporting, and data analysis to better understand our city. https://t.co/X5WNetvq3A

[MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions @MAP_Health]

In collaboration with @TheLocal_TO, MAP researchers produced the first-ever neighbourhood-level analysis of life expectancy in Toronto. Join us Oct 10 at 4pm for a webinar conversation with the researchers & journalists behind the project. Register here: https://t.co/jlKCaOXUpx

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Congratulations @AngelaMCheung on receiving the Gideon Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award from @ASBMR !

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

@UnityHealthTO has created a new and exciting position -- Manager, Homeless and Outreach Services – to provide dedicated leadership and oversight for homeless and outreach programs. Posting closes September 19. https://t.co/Ugly9HhZQ9

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Knowing when our patients are experiencing #homelessness is the first step to providing the best possible care and addressing housing as a determinant of health. Our new research at @MAP_Health @UnityHealthTO sheds light on this connection.

[The Globe and Mail @globeandmail]

Mandating hospitals to record homelessness among patients improves health outcomes, new study finds https://t.co/PAMmmGYrAU

[The Campbell Lab @CampbellLab_yyc]

In our latest paper, led by Dr. Kathryn Wiens, we found striking disparities in diabetes care for people with a history of homelessness. There is a strong need to create and invest in tailored interventions to support this population: https://t.co/yeez3hK58X

[Unity Health Toronto @UnityHealthTO]

Dr. @NaheedD has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Medical Association (@CMA_Docs).

Dosani is a palliative care physician at St. Michael's Hospital. He is also a health equity expert and advocate.

Congratulations, Dr. Dosani!🙌
https://t.co/MEY6LSUx6t

[CJEM @CJEMonline]

Trends in ED visits during cold weather seasons among patients experiencing homelessness in Ontario, Canada by Lucie Richard https://t.co/J99MXBhC8G
ED visits plausibly attributable to avoidance of cold exposure increased 27% in Ontario and 70% in Toronto in 2022/2023

[Mélanie Joly @melaniejoly]

We are horrified by strikes that killed Palestinian civilians in Rafah.

Canada does not support an Israeli military operation in Rafah.

This level of human suffering must come to an end.

We demand an immediate ceasefire.

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Eye-opening, gut-wrenching, first-person video with Dr. Samer Attar, surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. Two Weeks Inside Gaza’s Ruined Hospitals https://t.co/dGfErlrtxd

[Orla Smith @orlasmith51]

Congrats to Shirley, one of the most amazing nurses and humans I have ever met. We are privileged to work beside her. She’s the best! ♥️🦄

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

We are recruiting! Postdoctoral fellowship on our outstanding research team focused on interventions to end chronic #homelessness and to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness. @MAP_Health @UnityHealthTO https://t.co/cVyHldZaZI

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Great insights on seniors & homelessness and 2SLGBTQIA+ people & homelessness at this Speakers Panel. Congrats to Fulbright Scholar Sarah Stouffer-Lerch for her leadership role in this event.

[Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre @KelownaResearch]

What a fantastic event last week! The Intersectionality & Homelessness Speakers Panels, co-hosted with @MAP_Health & @UnityHealthTO event recording is now available! https://t.co/wFZfpMANtf

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Congratulations to Dr. Wale Ajiboye @MAP_Health for his CIHR Early Career Transition Award to advance his research on increasing uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in African Caribbean and Black communities in Ontario!

[Sean B. Rourke @SeanBRourke]

Amazing program CIHR has launched. We are so proud to have Dr. Wale Ajiboye as part of the 1st-ever cohort @MAP_Health and @UnityHealthTO. It's an honour for me to be his mentor along with Dr. LaRon Nelson. We are so excited the "real-life" impact that Wale will have. @CIHR_IRSC

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Happy to share this update about MAP's work to advance health equity over the past year!

[MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions @MAP_Health]

The past 12 months have been extremely productive for MAP, with some major successes and milestones to celebrate! Read our 2023 in review: https://t.co/CDUl0rbKLR
@UnityHealthTO @StMichaelsFdn @StaplesCanada

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Thanks @_LucieRichard for leading this work!

[Lucie Richard @_LucieRichard]

🚨 Our new preprint: ED visits to avoid cold weather exposure by #unhoused ppl are way up in '22/'23. The change is most stark in Toronto (+68%), where pandemic hotels closed and calls unmatched to shelter exploded in '22/'23: https://t.co/eSr4a7a7Gc #ONpoli #TOpoli #homelessness

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

Our new research shows that people experiencing homelessness have been using emergency departments to escape the cold. We need to provide enough shelter and warming spaces so they don't have to do this. https://t.co/avCSae0hzg

[Stephen Hwang @StephenHwang]

@JesseJenkinson giving a great presentation at #CAEH23 on the role of health care workers and researchers in advocacy and policy engagement on winter response for people experiencing homelessness