For Release: April 14, 2026 
Media Contact: rylee.ahnen@homeforward.org 

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.