The six-storey Station Street Housing Project will not be far from the Main Street SkyTrain station.The six-storey Station Street Housing Project will not be far from the Main Street SkyTrain station. (CBC)

Construction begins soon on an 80-bed supportive housing development for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, the first of 14 to be funded by the province but owned by the City of Vancouver.

B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson were among those who broke ground Tuesday for the six-storey Station Street Housing Project, not far from the Main Street SkyTrain station.

"Today's groundbreaking for Station Street is quite frankly an important step to helping people who are homeless on our streets today towards … getting out of homelessness, or being at risk of homelessness, in Vancouver to actually moving them to supports and being helped to turn their lives around," said Coleman.

Robertson was elected last year with the goal to end homelessness in the city as his top priority.

"It's another important piece of the puzzle. We need thousands of units to be constructed in Vancouver to address the scale of the problem. This is a great next step though," said Robertson.

The province will pick up most of the $21-million construction cost. The city has donated the land. The PHS Community Services Society will operate it.

Coleman said more groundbreakings will be coming in the next few months.