After Fire, Washington City Mission Gets New Trailers To House Homeless

WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- Three trailers sit in an empty lot next to the Washington City Mission's Hidden Treasures Thrift Store and Donation Center on West Beau Street.

Three more are expected to arrive Monday and the final three on Tuesday.

Nine total trailers will house a lot of homeless men.

"They're large size trailers but that will be enough room for us to be able to put 56 beds in there, showers, toilet facilities, a rec area and some security for our men," President and CEO of the Washington City Mission Dean Gartland said.

The city mission needs these trailers right away since the men will no longer be able to stay in the Washington Senior High School cafeteria.

They have to be out by Aug. 3, before school starts.

In June, the mission's kitchen caught on fire.

Both the kitchen and dining room were destroyed and the 66 men who lived in the old church at the time were forced out.

While these trailers are in the works, the city mission's president and CEO says they're working on reconstructing a permanent home.

"The church building would not meet our needs because of having to bring it up to code and would take a long time and just not enough square footage," Gartland said.

This is why the city mission plans to move the dining room and kitchen to this building, located in the back.

The men will be moved to its second floor.

"The building is a little bit wider than our church building. It's a block building has concrete floors, very sturdy. all open space right now," Gartland said.

The mission hopes to begin reconstruction in October and completed by next July.

Until then, mission officials hopes the city of Washington approves the plans for these trailers so the men have a place to stay in the interim.

The three trailers expected to arrive on Monday should be delivered around 10 a.m. The city mission says they plan on beginning electrical work at that time.

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