RhPAP Rural Housing Coordinators arrange furnished and conveniently located accommodations in rural teaching communities.
RhPAP has over 100 leased accommodations across across the province in approximately 40 rural Alberta communities. These accommodations are primarily utilized for University of Alberta and University of Calgary medical students and residents while they train in rural family medicine for varying lengths of time. Other trainees that use these accommodations include nursing students and other allied health students. RhPAP focuses on providing housing in these communities to help overcome some of the barriers and challenges that exist around training in rural Alberta. The goal is to help the learners enjoy a positive and comfortable experience in rural Alberta to encourage them to consider practising rurally in the future.
RhPAP accommodations include furnishings, house & kitchenware items and internet access to support their comfort and learning opportunities. Housing, furniture, and housewares are provided on an honor system so we ask that all health professionals respect the accommodations, common landlord rules, and expectations for standard cleanliness to ensure the tenants who follow them enjoy the same positive experience.
In order to provide these accommodations, RhPAP often leases apartments, condos, duplexes, townhouses, or houses that are available in the communities where year-round learning is offered. Other options utilized on a short-term basis include room and board (preparing own meals), rooming houses, bed and breakfasts, etc. to best work with communities to provide a stronger connection with the learners.
Learners are often scheduled one at a time in these accommodations, but there are instances where multiple learners are assigned to the same accommodation, so sharing may be required.
Due to hygienic sensitivities, RhPAP does not provide food, linens (bedding or towels), or laundry products although there are often laundry facilities in-suite. We start each suite off with cleaning products, simple toiletries such as hand soap, toilet paper, etc., but we ask that each learner replenish such products during their stay.
RhPAP Accommodations Team
Shawna Banman (L), Rural Housing Coordinator – South, Eric Nashman (C), Project Manager – Student/Resident Housing, and Donna Bonsteel (R), Rural Housing Coordinator – North make up the RhPAP Accommodations Team.
RhPAP housing coordinators work very hard to provide appropriate housing to learners, so they have a good experience learning in rural Alberta. We also try to take into consideration special requests for immediate family, allergies, etc.