YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley officially celebrated the reopening of its historic downtown building, now renamed the YWCA Nancy J. Land Center, following a major renovation of the 100-year-old facility.
The center will support and expand the Jenny Boyd Keys of Hope Program for Women, which combats homelessness and ensures women in need have the chance to rebuild lives devastated by domestic abuse, addiction loss and other challenges.
“It is incredibly meaningful to stand in this space again and welcome our community back into a building that has long represented safety, dignity and hope for women across East Tennessee,” YWCA CEO Natalie Stair said. “For generations, women have walked through these doors looking for stability, connection and a fresh start. While the space around us has changed, that purpose never has.”
In 2019, YWCA launched the Keys of Hope Capital Campaign to raise funds for essential renovations and to expand the life-changing program. Campaign support enabled critical upgrades to ensure the historic building meets modern standards for safety, efficiency and functionality, allowing it to fully serve women in need.
The renovation increased resident room capacity by nearly 20%, enabling the center to provide housing and supportive services for more than 200 women annually who would otherwise face homelessness. Through the Jenny Boyd Keys of Hope Program, 90% of participants successfully reenter the workforce, secure permanent housing, regain self-sufficiency and rebuild their lives.
“We are excited that the day has finally come when we can open these doors once again,” Knoxville philanthropist Nancy J. Land said. “We have long supported the mission of the YWCA, and we remain deeply committed to ensuring this center continues to be a place of opportunity and hope.”
The program is a proven solution to homelessness at a fraction of the cost. On any given day, more than 10,000 Tennesseans are homeless. Many women served through the Jenny Boyd Keys of Hope Program are on the verge of homelessness or have been homeless before. The program prevents them from starting – or falling more deeply into – the cycle of chronic homelessness.
The YWCA’s cost to house a woman in the program for one year is nearly 90% less than the annual taxpayer cost to support a chronically homeless person – $40,000 vs. $5,973.
Stair said she also hopes to utilize the renovated facility to expand programs, community outreach and impact beyond the residents of the program.
Updates to the building include new electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems; energy-efficient windows and roofing; new and efficient use of the building’s footprint to increase and maximize its capacity to serve program and the community; significantly improved ADA accessibility throughout the building; and all modernized interiors, while still preserving the historic character of the space.
As the organization closes out construction, YWCA anticipates beginning to accept new applications in the coming weeks once staff are fully settled.
For more information about YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley and to donate, visit ywcaknox.com.
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