Mission & History

Independence Mayor, Barbara Potts, recognized the need for a domestic violence shelter in Eastern Jackson County. The Mayor’s Task Force was formed to assist in opening and organizing Hope House.

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Hope House opens its doors in Independence with the ability to house 15 women and children, and establishes the 24-Hour Hotline. In one year, Hope House answered nearly 1000 hotline calls.

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Hope House moves to a larger facility, giving the ability to shelter 30 survivors.

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The first full-time Court Advocate is hired to aid victims in court. Hope House expands its services and starts the Court Advocacy Program in six municipal courts.

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Hope House raises $2.3 million to build a new facility in Independence and begins construction of the current 8.2 acre campus.

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Outreach services (support groups and court advocacy) expand to Lee’s Summit. Concerned citizens of Lee’s Summit approach Hope house about opening and operating an additional domestic violence shelter in the community.

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Hope House successfully completes a capital campaign for a Lee’s Summit campus. The Civil Legal Program is launched and a full-time attorney is hired to provide civil legal representation.

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The Lee’s Summit campus opens, offering 52 beds for survivors. The first call for assistance was received within 10 minutes. Hope House services expand to include the Guardian Program, which offers monitored exchanges of custody and supervised visitations, and BridgeSPAN, a metro-wide hospital based advocacy program in collaboration with other local domestic violence shelters.

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Began offering the Transitional Housing Program which provides survivors with scattered site housing, rent and/or utility subsidies, housing-specific case management, resource referrals, and employment guidance for six to 24 months.

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The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) is launched, giving police officers the ability to assess a victim’s risk of serious injury and/or death.

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Hope House completes the Independence Capital Campaign for renovations to the Independence campus. Renovations include expanding the emergency shelter building, construction of a new therapy building, and transforming the old therapy building into a community partnership building where survivors can access doctors, dental services, a sewing room, and salon services.

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Hope House is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. Achieving COA accreditation means our organization is among the best in the field.

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Increased operating hours of the Guardian Program from three days a week to six days a week.

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Launched the Permanent Housing Program to aid survivors in finding permanent, stable housing after experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking

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The COVID-19 global pandemic causes restrictions on communal living, allowing Hope House to expand its hotel program to continue housing survivors. The Lee’s Summit shelter is temporarily closed and staff members begin working from home.
Began providing onsite therapy and advocacy services to survivors of domestic violence at Hawthorne Place Apartments, an income based apartment complex located in Independence.

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In partnership with the Independence Police Department, Hope House hired a new Co-Responding Advocate to provide crisis intervention services, advocacy, and resource referrals and linkages to survivors contacting the police for assistance.

Hope House also expanded its short-term housing assistance offered to survivors through the creation of the Accelerated Housing program, which provides rent and/or utility subsidies, housing-specific case management, resource referrals, and employment guidance for up to six months.

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Hope House is reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation.

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Hope House celebrates its 40th anniversary since opening in 1983.

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