Thrive International, the nonprofit that has housed hundreds of refugee and immigrant families in Tacoma and Spokane, announced on Nov. 4 that it is shutting down for good. The closure follows a punishing arbitration ruling, a stalled property purchase in Tacoma, and mounting financial strain that left the organization unable to keep its doors open.
Thrive provided transitional housing for refugee and immigrant families, according to The News Tribune. The organization was founded in Spokane in 2021 and later expanded its work to Tacoma in Western Washington, the paper reports — though The Spokesman-Review dates its founding to 2022, when it says Thrive was created to give refugees temporary housing until they could find permanent shelter. In the Nov. 4 announcement, Thrive said operations are expected to conclude by the end of 2026, subject to court approval, with administrative wind-down continuing into early 2027.
A Legal Fight Over Rent Triggers Receivership
The main factor that triggered the receivership, per the same account, was litigation in Spokane over rent and insurance payments involving Thrive’s landlord. An arbitration judge ultimately ruled in favor of the landlord and ordered the nonprofit to pay $3.3 million in back rent and insurance. Thrive filed its receivership case in Pierce County Superior Court in March 2026, and receiver Shelly Crocker said she determined to pursue dissolution after reviewing the organization’s finances and operations.
Crocker also pointed to new work permit restrictions imposed on refugees, asylum seekers and other noncitizens as a factor that made Thrive’s operations untenable. She said state funding routed through small immigrant and refugee programs was not sustainable on its own. A 2025 report from the Spokesman-Review found Thrive relied primarily on private donations, resident payments and state funding, with roughly 10% of its budget tied to federal funding passed through partner organizations — and a 2026 report from Range Media noted that federal grants, an important funding stream for organizations like Thrive, were cut off entirely.
Tacoma Property Deal Falls Apart
Thrive’s Tacoma site at 8810 S. Hosmer St. was structured as a rental with an option to buy, but the organization learned in October that it would have to leave the facility. The nonprofit had received $2 million from the Washington State Housing Trust Fund toward purchasing the property and had raised additional funding on top of that, but it never used that extra money because no sale contract was ultimately reached. Crocker rejected the proposed purchase price for the property and said the organization could not agree on terms that would have allowed it to stay…