A 44-unit workforce housing project under construction at the Christ Church property on Route 1 in Portsmouth is expected to begin welcoming tenants by September 2027, according to Portsmouth Housing Authority officials.
The housing is part of a broader redevelopment called Violet’s Way, a partnership involving the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, Christ Church Portsmouth, the Portsmouth Housing Authority, Haven and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The site will also include a facility for Haven, a new church and preservation work at the African Burying Ground.
Tenant priorities
Andrea Pickett, the Portsmouth Housing Authority’s director of outreach and engagement, said the agency has created a tenant selection plan that gives preference to child care workers and people employed in Portsmouth. Some apartments will also be reserved for Haven clients.
The project is being built on church-owned land in a commercial area along Lafayette Road. The Portsmouth Housing Authority’s development arm, PHA Housing Development Ltd., is overseeing the housing portion of the redevelopment.
“The 44 units of workforce housing we see here right in front of us will relieve that stress for 44 households in our community.” — Adam Ruedig, president of PHA Housing Development Ltd.
Ruedig said the future residents could include teachers, families, people working in Portsmouth’s creative economy and city employees. He described the prospective tenants as people connected to the community through work, family and neighborhood ties.
The housing authority announced the projected occupancy timeline during a Nov. 12 press conference at the construction site. The project is intended to provide below-market-rate homes as part of the larger reuse of the Lafayette Road property.
A larger redevelopment
Violet’s Way combines housing with facilities for organizations serving the Portsmouth community. Haven, which is a partner in the project, will receive a new facility, while the redevelopment also includes a new church building and protection of the African Burying Ground.
The housing authority’s selection priorities place the project’s apartments within a broader community partnership rather than treating the housing as a separate development. Child care workers and other Portsmouth employees are among the groups identified for preference, while Haven clients will have access to designated units.
Construction was continuing at the site as of Thursday’s announcement. The stated target is for residents to move into the 44 homes beginning in September 2027.
