Our History

As a restructured 501(3)c nonprofit since December of 2002, New Phoebe House Association has focused on providing a holistic, trauma-informed program to homeless Pierce County women and their children.

On Christmas Eve 2002 New Phoebe House Association opened its doors to homeless mothers and their children after months of being closed, weeks of volunteers working to save the facility and program, and hours of selfless dedication to ensure New Phoebe House would stay in Pierce County indefinitely.

Phoebe House, as it was called before our December 2002 reopening, was founded in 1989. For more than a decade the program provided emergency shelter and innovative programs to address the needs of homeless women and their children in Pierce County. By May 2002, buried under massive debt with no avenues to sufficient funding, Phoebe House was forced to evict its residents and close its doors.

A small, dedicated group of volunteers who also served on the Board were determined to change the course for Phoebe House. After weeks of strategizing internally, meeting with community partners, and convincing funders their money would be diligently managed and well spent, Phoebe House rose again under the name New Phoebe House Association.

For nearly twenty years, NPH has focused on providing housing, services, treatment, and support to Pierce County mothers and their children impacted by chemical dependency. These efforts include assisting our residents reach reunification with their children through healing, self-sufficiency, and clean & sober living. In more recent years, we have expanded our programs to meet the changing needs of our residents with in-house mental health care, teaching parenting and life skills and assisting our residents with employment readiness.

Read our full history.