Ground broken on housing for homeless in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH -- Housing is coming to get some of Portsmouth's homeless off the streets.

The city broke ground Wednesday on South Bay Apartments, which will have 60 studio apartments for the single adults.  Additionally, help will be available for residents to find jobs.

Residents will sign leases and pay 30-percent of their income in rent.

Chesapeake, Norfolk and Va. Beach also are providing funding and rental subsidies; the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority provided the land.

The total development cost is about $7 million.

The complex, developed by Virginia Supportive Housing, is set to open in late 2010.   It's the organization's third housing project on Southside. The others are Gosnold Apartments in Norfolk and Cloverleaf Apts. in Va. Beach.