Home Forward
Home Forward#
Home Forward is the largest housing authority in Oregon, serving Multnomah County including Portland, Gresham, and surrounding communities. Originally established as the Housing Authority of Portland by the Portland City Council on December 11, 1941, to address wartime housing needs during World War II, the agency rebranded as Home Forward in 2011 to reflect its expanded service area beyond Portland city limits.1
The agency owns and manages approximately 7,000 affordable housing units and administers the federal Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for Multnomah County, receiving nearly $84.9 million annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.2 In total, Home Forward serves nearly 15,000 households and more than 33,000 residents through its various programs.3
Policy Positions#
- Affordable housing preservation: Supports state programs and funding to preserve existing affordable housing stock, including insurance premium assistance for affordable housing providers and bond funding for preservation of at-risk properties.4
- Mixed-income housing development: Advocates for expanding housing authority powers to finance, develop, own, and operate mixed-income housing, moving beyond traditional income-restricted models.5
- Tenant protections: Supports measures extending tenant protections, including longer notice periods for nonpayment evictions, restrictions on landlord disclosure of tenant information, and limits on rent increases for publicly supported housing.6
- Affordable housing funding: Testifies in support of state budget allocations for housing programs administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services, including the LIFT program and homeless services funding.7
- Housing accessibility: Supports requirements for accessibility standards in new subsidized housing developments and building code conformity with Fair Housing Act requirements.8
- Land use reform for affordable housing: Supports allowing affordable housing development on lands not zoned for residential uses at increased density.9
Key Legislative Involvement#
- HB 4036 (2026): Testified in support of establishing the Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability Fund using Article XI-Q bonds to preserve affordable housing at risk of loss.10
- SB 1576 (2026): Testified in support of requiring state building code conformity with Fair Housing Act accessibility requirements for subsidized housing developments.8
- SB 684 (2025): Testified in support across multiple hearings of expanding housing authority powers to finance, develop, and operate mixed-income housing, a bill that was signed into law.5
- SB 829 (2025): Testified in support of establishing an insurance premium assistance program for affordable housing providers, addressing rising insurance costs threatening the affordable housing sector.4
- HB 2001 (2023): Testified in support of the comprehensive housing bill establishing the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis and expanding housing production tools, including modular housing grants and extended eviction notice periods.11
- HB 3414 (2023): Testified in support of Governor Kotek’s housing production bill requiring local governments to approve adjustments to land use regulations for housing development within urban growth boundaries.12
- SB 611 (2023): Testified in support of capping annual rent increases for residential tenancies.6
- SB 8 (2021): Testified in support of requiring local governments to allow affordable housing development on lands not zoned for residential uses.9
News Coverage
| Article | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| A 2022 Policy Change Eliminated One of Home Forward’s Tools for Controlling Bad Behavior | Willamette Week | April 1, 2026 |
| Public Pressure on Home Forward Ramps Up | Willamette Week | March 12, 2026 |
| Home Forward’s Real Estate Portfolio Is Fast Approaching Financial Distress | Willamette Week | February 25, 2026 |
| It Takes Home Forward 185 Days on Average to Fill an Apartment at One of Its Buildings | Willamette Week | February 18, 2026 |
| Readers Respond to Home Forward’s Tenant Screening Policies | Willamette Week | February 16, 2026 |
| How Can 955 Home Forward Units Sit Empty When 7,500 People Are Sleeping Outside? | Willamette Week | December 10, 2025 |
Legislative Testimony
2026
4 testimonies
| Bill | Name | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 4123 Limits the circumstances under which a landlord may disclose confidential information. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2026-02-23 |
| HB 4123 Limits the circumstances under which a landlord may disclose confidential information. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2026-02-06 |
| SB 1576 Requires the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules to conform the state building code to accessibility requirements under the Fair Housing Act. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2026-02-06 |
| HB 4036 Establishes the Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability Fund to deposit Article XI-Q bonds to be used by the Housing and Community Services Department to preserve affordable housing at risk of loss. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2026-02-03 |
2025
10 testimonies
| Bill | Name | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 684 Amends the definition of "residential housing" to include certain mixed income housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-05-02 |
| HB 5011 Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Housing and Community Services Department for biennial expenses. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-25 |
| SB 51 Requires the Housing and Community Services Department to distribute funds to the Housing Development Center, Inc. to support affordable housing property management. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-25 |
| SB 829 Requires the Department of Consumer and Business Services to establish a program to assist eligible entities in paying the costs of property insurance or liability insurance premiums for affordable housing, shelters and other facilities. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-25 |
| SB 54 Requires that residential tenants be provided with indoor cooling or cooling spaces for multiunit buildings with 10 units or more. |
Carolina Gomez | Support | 2025-03-18 |
| SB 722 Prohibits residential landlords from using certain software to set rents or occupancy rates. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-17 |
| SB 50 Allows the Housing and Community Services Department to use certain moneys in the Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing Program Fund set aside to purchase multifamily housing to convert to affordable housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-11 |
| SB 684 Amends the definition of "residential housing" to include certain mixed income housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-11 |
| SB 31 Authorizes the Housing and Community Services Department to provide grants to support tenants of publicly supported housing when the housing's affordability restrictions are terminated. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2025-03-01 |
| HB 2305 Allows a landlord to terminate residential tenancy upon third material violation or late payment upon 30 days' notice with no right to cure. |
Christina Dirks | Oppose | 2025-02-18 |
2024
2 testimonies
| Bill | Name | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 1530 Appropriates moneys to and modifies expenditure limitations for the Housing and Community Services Department, Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services, State Department of Energy, Oregon Business Development Department, Department of Transportation, Water Resources Department and Oregon Department of Administrative Services for various programs. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2024-02-09 |
| SB 1537 Requires the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Department of Consumer and Business Services to jointly establish and administer the Housing Accountability and Production Office. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2024-02-07 |
2023
13 testimonies
| Bill | Name | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 611 Caps annual rent increases for residential tenancies. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-06-21 |
| HB 3042 Limits terminations and rent increases for three years after tenants' housing is withdrawn from publicly supported housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-04-13 |
| HB 2659 Requires Land Conservation and Development Commission to update rules adopted in response to Governor's executive order on climate to address specific issues. |
Amanda Saul | Oppose | 2023-04-03 |
| HB 3414 Requires local governments to approve certain adjustments to land use regulations for housing development within urban growth boundary. |
Amanda Saul | Support | 2023-03-23 |
| SB 979 Provides that constructing child care facility within project for affordable housing does not subject project for affordable housing to prevailing wage requirements if child care facility meets specified requirements. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-03-22 |
| SB 847 Allows affordable housing on lands zoned for commercial uses within urban growth boundaries. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-03-14 |
| HB 5019 Appropriates moneys from General Fund to specified state agencies for certain purposes related to housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-03-07 |
| SB 5511 Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Housing and Community Services Department for biennial expenses and for debt service. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-03-02 |
| SB 603 Establishes People's Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program, administered by Department of Human Services, to provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, are severely rent burdened or earn at or below 60 percent of area median income. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-02-28 |
| HB 2001 Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis in Oregon Department of Administrative Services. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-02-22 |
| HB 2889 Amends Oregon Housing Needs Analysis and land use requirements for local governments related to urbanization. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-02-07 |
| HB 3042 Limits terminations and rent increases for three years after tenants' housing is withdrawn from publicly supported housing. |
Christina Dirks | Support | 2023-02-02 |
| SB 799 Requires residential landlords to extend notice periods for terminations of tenancy based on nonpayment of rent and to include additional notices. |
Ian Davie | Support | 2023-01-31 |
2021
5 testimonies
| Bill | Name | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 282 Extends grace period for repayment of residential rent accrued during emergency period of April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, until February 28, 2022. |
Taylor Smiley Wolfe | Support | 2021-04-27 |
| HB 3113 Limits exemption from rent increase limits for landlords renting under government programs reducing rents. |
Taylor Smiley Wolfe | Support | 2021-04-01 |
| HB 2584 Increases total amount of tax credits for affordable housing lenders allowed for all taxpayers per fiscal year. |
Taylor Smiley Wolfe | Support | 2021-03-25 |
| SB 282 Extends grace period for repayment of residential rent accrued during emergency period of April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, until February 28, 2022. |
Taylor Smiley Wolfe | Support | 2021-03-18 |
| SB 8 Requires local governments to allow development of certain affordable housing on lands not zoned for residential uses. |
Taylor Smiley Wolfe | Support | 2021-03-16 |