Construction of a housing complex of eight three-bedroom apartments is slated to begin in Port Gibson this year.

Southwest Housing Development Corp. of Fayette has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Mississippi Development Authority for the work.

“Our main objective is to provide safe, sanitary housing for low- and moderate-income families,” said Mary Irving, executive director at Southwest.

Residents pay rent on a sliding scale based on income, she said.

Requests for bid proposals will be issued soon, Irving said. Southwest Development will construct the complex adjacent to another the corporation owns and administers on Wilson Lane, Irving said.

The existing complex, built about four years ago, is fully occupied with a mix of both single-parent and two-parent families.

The grant will be administered in phases as construction progresses, said Irving. “We hope to be able to start in the next three months,” she said.

Southwest also provides home health services and the assistance of skilled nurses in qualifying homes. The non-profit has been in operation since 1994.