A southern Arizona rescue mission has reduced the number of beds at its homeless shelter by nearly half after South Tucson officials determined the shelter violated a building safety code.
The Arizona Daily Star reported Monday the Gospel Rescue Mission's shelter for men has gone down from 106 beds to 55 beds.
The shelter's client services coordinator, Wes Shepherd, says the rescue mission found housing for 46 men at other shelters. But other men have been turned away from the rescue mission.
South Tucson City Manager Sixto Molina says a building inspector checked the property last week and determined it could only house 55 beds under fire safety code regulations.
Molina says the fire department responded to 141 calls for service at the rescue mission last year.
