It is my understanding that the District of 撸奶社区is currently undertaking a review of .
There has been substantial progress in addressing the issue of affordable/attainable housing through the CAC process.
The evolution of the concept and its application has resulted in the creation of an “agency” to manage the properties allocated for this purpose.
A good step in resolving an ongoing need in our community.
There is also a looming crisis in health care. Recently, the provincial government has recognized the stress placed on the general practitioners in our community as they struggle to provide quality care in their family practices.
One of the primary stresses is the conversion of rates of pay per visit to a GP into the carrying costs of a location, staff overheads and finally into the paycheque of the practitioner. Commercial leases are not rent-controlled, subject only to the terms of the current lease and the terms of its renewal.
This limited rate of return is also a key contributor to the lack of new practitioners arriving at the doorstep of our quickly growing community. There may be risks to sustaining even our existing number of primary care clinics.
To ameliorate the issue of rent/overhead costs, an adaptation of the affordable housing model could be implemented. Based on the location of a new development, rather than space allocated for housing, space on the ground floor commercial space would be designated as a community amenity and reserved in perpetuity, as per the housing units, for the use and accommodation of family practitioners. Rent-controlled, without the potential for dramatic rent increases.
In similar initiatives within CAC policies, existing and currently under discussion, the District seeks to also recognize and negotiate childcare facilities in new developments as an important community value.
In summary, I wish to suggest that the provision of perpetually affordable space for family practice general practitioners might be considered in the ongoing review of CAC policies.
Ihor Zalubniak
Squamish
