Dismas House Receives Two ULI Nashville’s 2023 Excellence in Development Awards
April 30, 2023
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Dismas House, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and supportive services to individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community, has been recognized by Urban Land Institute (ULI) Nashville with two Excellence in Development Awards.
ULI is the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world. ULI’s mission is to aid in the development of more equitable, sustainable, healthy, and resilient communities across the globe. Through its members’ shared expertise and dedication to the mission, the Institute has set the standard for excellence in development practice.
ULI Nashville’s Excellence in Development Awards celebrate developments that are exceptional in building and site design and that positively impact Middle Tennessee. Of the 18 organizations nominated for the 13th annual ceremony, Dismas House received one of eight final recognitions for projects that demonstrate outstanding, purpose-driven architecture.
Additionally, ULI recognized Dismas House with a second accolade – the Rose Faeges-Easton Community Impact Award. The inaugural award honors the Founding Director of ULI Nashville and celebrates the impact of projects that address needs while modeling public/private partnerships.
Founded in 1974 by Father Jack Hickey of Vanderbilt University, Dismas House began as an eight-bed home on Music Row in Nashville. Recognizing the importance of providing a comprehensive program that extends beyond residential services, Dismas House expanded to a 72-bed campus in April 2020.
“This physical expansion allowed us to exponentially increase the number of men we serve as we intentionally re-envisioned, re-designed, and diversified our program offerings with an emphasis on supporting the whole person,” stated Kay Kretsch, CEO of Dismas House. “Our development partners beautifully executed our vision to create a serene, supportive, positive environment that provides a healing foundation for second chances.”
Dismas House is an approved Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) residential reentry program in Nashville that serves men returning to the community directly from all state correctional facilities for men and county jails throughout Tennessee. By providing holistic programming that addresses the challenges to successful reentry, Dismas House aims to stop the revolving door of recidivism.
Learn more about ULI and the Excellence in Development Awards: https://nashville.uli.org/events/awards-2/