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On March 31, 1949, a small group of Santa Barbara citizens met with Marty Mann, founder of the National Council on Alcoholism, to discuss the problem of alcoholism in the Santa Barbara
community. They incorporated in October of that year, calling themselves the Santa Barbara Committee on Alcoholism. Local facilities for alcoholism were inadequate, and in May of
1955, under the direction of Elmo Little – an electrician from Knoxville, Tennessee – the first New House was opened. The original supporters were pledged to keep New
House self-supporting and free from government tangles and restrictions.
New House became independent of the Committee on Alcoholism in 1974, and in 1978 opened New House II to expand its capacity. By July of 1984, New House had served over 12,000 men, and
New House II was moved from a temporary County-owned facility to its current location at 227 West Haley Street.
In February of 1991, New House III was purchased at 2434 Bath Street, increasing the New House capacity to 100 men. The original New House facility was
retired and replaced by a Grad House on Castillo Street in 2001.
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