March 15th, 2024
The Regional Health Care Attraction and Retention Committee would like to thank the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County for their recent purchase of a transitional house to aid in the attraction and retention of healthcare professionals to the community.
The Committee made a recommendation to the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County Councils to consider the purchase of a house for transitional housing in November 2023. Both Councils were in support and worked together to take possession of the home on March 8th, 2024.
The house will be used to provide interim rental accommodation for healthcare professionals, to assist in their process of securing a long-term place of residence, following relocation to the area. This was an initiative taken in response to the limited availability of housing in the region which will encourage attraction, as well as retention, by making the transition phase more manageable. The housing opportunity will also be available, when possible, to other professionals coming to the community such as educational staff and RCMP officers, as we have heard that housing is a challenge for their attraction and retention as well.
The Committee would also like to thank the community members who graciously donated household items to prepare the house for rental. Through the collaboration of all parties involved, this benefit to the region was made possible.
