New modular homes in Oliver to support health-care workers

In the South Okanagan, where vineyards stretch across warm hillsides and summer visitors fill campgrounds and guest suites, finding a place to stay can be a challenge for the health‑care professionals who keep local services running.

Between April and September, the Town of Oliver’s popularity as a tourist destination means locum (temporary) staff often struggle to secure short‑term housing. This has affected recruitment, retention and the day‑to‑day stability of care at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH).

Now, a collaborative project is helping change that.

Two new modular homes have arrived on the grounds of Sunnybank Retirement Centre, marking a major step forward in the Town of Oliver’s Housing for Healthcare Workers Initiative.

Once complete, the units will provide dedicated accommodation for travelling health‑care professionals who support local services throughout the year.

The project is the result of a multi‑partner effort involving the Town of Oliver, the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Medical Foundation, the Ministry of Health and Interior Health (IH).

IH has provided the Town with a 25‑year lease for the land, while funding contributions include $215,000 from the Ministry and $300,000 from the SOS Medical Foundation.

For health-care professionals, SOGH offers opportunities to build meaningful careers in a supportive environment.

The new modular homes are intended to improve access to these opportunities by providing temporary workers with reliable accommodation, reducing barriers and supporting more consistent staffing levels.

Improved access to housing supports continuity of care, reduces staffing gaps, and helps stabilize services close to home for patients and clients. It also highlights the commitment shared by local partners to strengthen the region’s health care system.

The project reflects broader work being led by IH’s Partnerships team. The team partners with Recruitment and Clinical Operations teams to facilitate housing and childcare to support recruitment and retention.

Their work to date has focused on centralizing and managing residential housing leases and the processes used for new builds, like the project in Oliver, to secure new housing when needed. 

In Williams Lake, for example, IH has partnered with Cariboo Living Healthcare Landing Program to manage four new modern townhouses at The Osprey Nest. These units are leased by IH from Williams Lake First Nation to help support relocated physicians and other health-care professionals settle in the community.

By improving access to housing, IH is helping create workplaces where staff feel supported—a key factor in long‑term retention and workforce stability.

For Oliver, the modular homes are a tangible investment in the people who care for the community, and a reminder of what can be achieved when local partners come together with a shared goal.

As construction on the units draws to a close, it signals a future where health‑care workers arriving in Oliver can focus on what matters most: providing high‑quality care to the people who call the South Okanagan home.

Visit our Stories@IH blog homepage

Sign up to receive the Stories@IH email digest twice a week to your inbox