Coalition open house

The Coalition held an open house on Thursday, June 9, 2011 to offer funding partners an opportunity to preview the ongoing Gertrude Flats renovation project.

Located on the corner of Jacob and Fourteenth streets, the building was built approximately 100 years ago and will be renovated to provide 18 beds for clients in the Coalition Residential Housing Program. The project is being financed with a combination of grant funding from foundation and public sources, in addition to private donations and is scheduled for completion in Spring, 2012.

Invitations were extended to funding sources including the Schenk Charitable Trust, the Northern Panhandle HOME Consortium, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, the WV Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Pittsburgh field office of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Third Presbyterian Church, representatives from the City of Wheeling and the WesBanco Bank Community Development Department, who served as a liaison with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh as well as the Coalition Board of Directors.

Guests were shown apartments in both of the existing Coalition housing facilities and given a tour of one of the units in the current renovation site. This event provided a showcase to demonstrate the dramatic effect the Coalition can have on the fabric of this neighborhood, as  one of the buildings on display during the tour was rehabilitated in 2002.

Light refreshments were served during the event. Table settings included linens donated by Wheeling Linen Service of Warwood and flowers donated by Klug Greenhouse of Wheeling and Kathy Koegler of Wheeling.