KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — ReLAUNCH, a nonprofit dedicated to its goal of achieving functional zero homelessness in Knoxville, now has its certificate of occupancy to keep its doors open overnight regardless of the temperature. The organization can now run a 24-hour operation, after months of preparation.
“A lot of folks have really been anticipating this as kind of the way to get through winter,” Linda Conaway, the nonprofit’s president, said. “We have occupancy for 59 people and we’re going to be open every night until the end of February.”
ReLAUNCH ran a similar shelter back in February when Knoxville was going through a cold snap, operating a low-barrier shelter in the city. Now that they have signed a contract with the Salvation Army to reinstate a shelter downtown, they have the building through the end of February, funded by the Knoxville-Knox County office of Housing Stability…