A quarter-mile section of the Greenbelt Walkway reopened this past week as construction wraps up on new affordable housing units for seniors at Betsy Ross Crossing in South Portland.

Leasing at the five-story, 52-unit addition to the existing Betsy Ross House independent living complex is underway, and the first residents are due to move in on July 23. This new building — all one-bedroom units except for one two-bedroom unit — expands the Betsy Ross campus to 175 total units.

The housing is open to seniors ages 55 and older with limited income — $54,540 for a one-person household to $77,880 for a four-person household, and with its location directly on the Greenbelt, residents can enjoy walkable access to South Portland landmarks like Bug Light Park and Willard Beach.

These units provide much-needed affordable housing in the area, according to Mike Hulsey, the executive director of the South Portland Housing Authority. The city’s Housing Needs Assessment in 2022 determined that the city will need to construct 2,905 new houses by 2030 to meet expected housing demands.

“We’re constantly looking for development opportunities, whether in South Portland or the surrounding areas,” Hulsey said. The housing authority has multiple projects under way, including Landry Woods, a 43-unit building for residents ages 55 and older.

Adding senior housing to the existing Betsy Ross complex was intuitive, Hulsey said. “There’s very little buildable land in South Portland,” he said. “It made sense for us to have some kind of property on that site.”

The housing authority already owned the parcel, and the Betsy Ross House was already housing residents 62 and older. And he said it’s more palatable politically to get zoned for senior housing than family housing because factors like education don’t have to be considered.

The section of the Greenbelt that passes directly through the Betsy Ross property has been detoured since construction began in 2023. The construction company used it as a staging area, and Hulsey said it would have been unsafe to have kept that portion of the Greenbelt open.

The housing authority made some improvements to the trail that ran through the property, including lowering the grade of that part of the path.

The Betsy Ross Crossing is still accepting applications for residents who match the criteria. For more information, visit spha.net.