Murphy's Landing workforce housing development on 25th Street includes three homes with room for up to eight medical students. (Vernon Matters photo)

By Pete McIntyre

Murphy's Landing

Workforce housing project already attracting medical students to Vernon

May 29, 2024 | 5:00 PM

A project to attract more family doctors to the Vernon area has been completed, and the first occupants are ready to move in.

Murphy’s Landing workforce housing project at 4408 25th Street, a few blocks north-east of Seaton Secondary, held its official ribbon cutting and an open house on Wednesday, May 29.

There are three homes on the site with five separate living spaces, and room for up to eight medical residents.

Two of the homes have been completed while the third will be done by the end of June.

Open house on May 29 for Murphy’s Landing at 4408 25th Street. (Vernon Matters photo)

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The development is part of a North Okanagan medical residency program, an initiative led by Community Futures North Okanagan and local home developer AIM Development and Management.

Leigha Horsfield, executive director of Community Futures, said the ultimate goal is to get family doctors to remain in Vernon and improve access to health care for thousands of North Okanagan residents.

“Given the extreme housing shortage, the goal of this project is to create housing that supports the health sector and provides a ready-made landing place for medical residents,” Horsfield said.

The medical residents will get lower-than-normal rental rates and the homes are fully furnished.

The homes for medical students at Murphy’s Landing are fully furnished. (Vernon Matters photo)

Three students are moving into the complex in June, with more coming later in the summer.

Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming, who attended the open house on Wednesday, said it’s a win-win for everyone.

“The fact that it’s going to be publically-owned and will be made available at less than market rents for medical students is a great solution. We’re going to get medical residents, and they need a place to live. This is critical if we’re going to attract medical students to our hospital who are doing their residency,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

The students have finished medical school and are coming to Vernon for their two-year residency at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

AIM Development owner and founder Ian Murphy purchased the single-family home on 25th Street and subdivided the property into three lots. Murphy then sold the subdivided lots to Community Futures at a discounted price and managed construction of the development.

Cumming said the city allowed the lot to be sub-divided into three lots, and covered the development cost charges.

And if you’re wondering about the name, Ian Murphy is the reason it is called Murphy’s Landing.