Think Out Loud

Portland’s housing authority plagued by high vacancies, long turnover time

By Gemma DiCarlo (OPB)
Feb. 27, 2026 2 p.m.

Broadcast: Friday, Feb. 27

FILE - Residents at Home Forward's Northwest Tower in Portland, Ore., in 2024. Reporting from Willamette Week has found the agency has an unusually high vacancy rate and takes, on average, half a year to fill vacant units at some of its properties.

FILE - Residents at Home Forward's Northwest Tower in Portland, Ore., in 2024. Reporting from Willamette Week has found the agency has an unusually high vacancy rate and takes, on average, half a year to fill vacant units at some of its properties.

Anna Lueck / OPB

Home Forward, the housing authority for Portland and Multnomah County, is the largest provider of affordable housing in the state. Reporting from Willamette Week has found that the agency has an unusually high vacancy rate and takes, on average, half a year to fill vacant units at some of its properties. The lack of rental revenue from empty units is making it difficult for the agency to pay off its debts.

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Sophie Peel is a reporter for Willamette Week covering Portland City Hall and neighborhoods. She joins us with more details about her investigation into Home Forward.

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