Home Forward

07/31/2026

📣 We want to hear from you!

Home Forward is shaping the future of housing through the 2027 Moving to Work (MTW) Plan, and your voice matters.

Moving to Work is a federal program that tests whether giving local housing authorities more flexibility with funding and rules can help them better serve their communities. Your feedback is essential to ensure the 2027 MTW Plan meets local needs while supporting the goals of the program.

🗓 Submit your comments by August 31:

Moving to Work is a long-term federal pilot program designed to learn whether public housing authorities can serve their communities better.

04/29/2026

After more than four years of service, CEO Ivory Mathews has resigned effective May 1. We thank her for her leadership and wish her well.

Michael Buonocore, who served as Home Forward's executive director from 2014–2022, will step in as Interim Executive Director while the Board conducts a search for our next leader.

Our mission doesn't pause. We remain committed to housing stability and affordability for those who need it most.

Read the full release below:

Portland, OR – Ivory Mathews is resigning from her position as CEO of Home Forward, effective May 1, 2026. The Board Chair has accepted her resignation on behalf of the Board.

04/15/2026

Broadway One, a 230-unit affordable housing development underway in downtown Portland.......

Broadway One, a 230-unit affordable housing development underway in downtown Portland, is a testament to what can happen when community partners and local governments collaborate to address the needs of Oregonians.

The developers, Urban League of Portland and Home Forward, will operate an onsite early learning center and workforce development space. This approach reflects a broader shift in housing design, one that recognizes stability comes from rent affordability and access to services that support long-term success.

Read about the project at https://bit.ly/4bGfhQw.
Colas Construction City of Portland, OR Metro Multnomah County, Oregon

04/15/2026

Construction of Peaceful Villa is underway and moving along quite nicely.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡!

Did you know that the Topping Out tradition traces back to Scandinavian builders who placed a tree at the highest point of a new structure to honor the land and bring good fortune? Such a fun piece of history behind such an exciting milestone, great job, team!

04/14/2026

For Release: April 14, 2026
Media Contact: [email protected]

Home Forward Announces New Commitments to Strengthen Transparency, Accountability, and Performance

Portland, OR – Home Forward today announced a series of actions to strengthen operational performance, increase transparency, and ensure continued accountability to residents, partners, and the broader community.

As part of this effort, Home Forward is publicly committing to achieving a 94% occupancy rate across its full housing portfolio. The agency has already increased occupancy by approximately 4 percent since the end of last year through ongoing operational improvements and leasing efforts. Reaching 94% will align performance with the agency’s budgeted occupancy target for the year and ensure more homes are being utilized by those in need.

“Every home we operate represents an opportunity to provide stability for a family,” said Ivory Mathews, CEO of Home Forward. “We’ve made important progress, but we know we must continue to improve. Setting a clear, public occupancy goal is one way we are holding ourselves accountable to the community we serve.”

Home Forward also announced plans to develop a public-facing performance dashboard that will provide accessible data on key agency metrics. The dashboard will include information across both Home Forward-managed properties and properties managed by third-party partners. Agency leaders emphasized that building this tool will require significant data integration to ensure accuracy, consistency, and clarity.

“Transparency is critical to building and maintaining public trust,” Mathews said. “This dashboard will give our community a clearer view into our work and our progress, and will help ensure we are measuring what matters.”

In addition, Mathews is calling on Home Forward’s Board of Commissioners to initiate an independent, third-party organizational assessment. The assessment will evaluate the agency’s current strategies and operations, including efforts related to occupancy and community safety, and will provide recommendations aligned with national best practices and data-informed approaches.

“These commitments reflect the Board’s shared focus on accountability and long-term performance,” said Matthew Gebhardt, Chair of the Home Forward Board of Commissioners. “We support CEO Mathews’ efforts to set clear goals, increase transparency, and bring independent expertise to ensure the agency is operating at the highest standard and delivering for the community.”

“These steps are about strengthening how we serve,” Mathews added. “We are committed to continuous improvement, and that means being open to external evaluation, setting public operational, and increasing transparency around our work.”

The actions announced today build on work already underway across the agency and reflect Home Forward’s ongoing commitment to delivering safe, stable housing while being a responsible steward of public resources.

# # #

11/10/2025

Home Forward’s new apartment community in Northeast Portland, chaku kumtuks haws, is still accepting applications! The new apartment community is built for people balancing work, school* and life. Apartments include studios up to 3-bedrooms. Rents are typically lower than other rental housing.

📍 Address: 5660 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97218
🏠 Rents: $984 (studios), $1027 (1-BR), $1505 (2BR), $1733 (3BR)
✅Must earn between 30-60% AMI AND earn at least 1.5 x unit rent (see tables)
🤗Rent assistance/vouchers welcome (residents are responsible for paying full rent amount)
🔢 Household size requirements apply
🧒🏻👧🏼 On-site child care + preschool run by Native American Youth and Family Center
💼🎒Next to Portland Community CollegePCC Opportunity Center
🚙🚲 Great location near grocery stores, Fernhill Park, restaurants, numerous bus lines and bike score of 96

💡Interested? Fill out a short pre-screening form and someone will contact you if you’re likely eligible! https://www.homeforward.org/chakukumtukshaws/
* Must meet certain criteria to be eligible

11/07/2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Month is an opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions of Indigenous peoples. Their knowledge and leadership have shaped everything from environmentalism and medicine to community building, education, and the very land we live on. It is also a time to acknowledge the tragedies and hardships that Indigenous communities have endured.

Home Forward is committed to partnering with Indigenous organizations to ensure that affordable housing opportunities reflect their unique cultures and traditions. One example is chaku kumtuks haws. Home Forward partnered with the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) to develop the community. NAYA named the building and contributed to design elements such as Indigenous artwork. They are also teaching our youngest learners at the on-site child care and preschool center. Learn more here: homeforward.org/chakukumtukshaws

11/04/2025

WAITLIST LOTTERY RESULTS ANNOUNCED: Home Forward is now contacting people who applied for the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist and/or a Property-based waitlist. The notice will say if your household was randomly selected for one or more waitlists.

How we're contacting you: We're sending notices by email and regular mail to the address you used when you applied. We're sending notices all week.

What you should do:
-Check your email
-Check your mailbox
-Look for your notice in the coming days

Learn more: https://homeforward.org/waitlists

10/30/2025

Thank you to Portland General Electric for collaborating with Home Forward's Community Services Team to host a launch event last week to celebrate the newly installed EV chargers at New Columbia and Tamarack Apartments!

These chargers were made possible through the Drive Change Fund and the Business and Multifamily Make-Ready Program. This partnership will support an ongoing effort to make sure our communities have greater access to clean, reliable, and sustainable transportation options.

We welcomed community members to celebrate the new installation with snacks, informational materials, and opportunities to see and learn more about electric vehicles!

10/28/2025

🚲 Home Forward was thrilled to host this event at New Columbia apartment community! We are grateful to Community Cycling Center for making sure families have bikes and equipment to safely enjoy all our bike-friendly city has to offer!