About Home Forward

The Home Forward is a Section 8 and Public Housing Public Housing Agency in Portland, Oregon.

The Home Forward serves Multnomah County, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Portland, Cedar Mill, Maywood Park, West Haven Sylvan, Wood Village and West Haven-Sylvan.

Home Forward Waiting Lists

Multnomah County, Oregon Section 8 HCV Waiting List : Closed

The Home Forward (HF) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for five days in September 2016, and prior to that in November 2012. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

Please note: In March 2017, Home Forward sent a letter to all persons on the waiting list that due to a reduction in federal funding for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, it will not be able to give out vouchers to persons on the waiting list during 2017. A copy of the letter sent to those on the waiting list can be found here.

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.

This waiting list has the following preferences: Live, work, hired to work or receiving education or training in Multnomah County, OR.

3,000 applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, after sorting preferences.

For more information, visit the HF website, or call the office at (503) 802-8300.

Last Updated on 06/13/2017.

Multnomah County, Oregon Section 8 PBV: Closed

Home Forward (HF) is not accepting Section 8 Project-Based Voucher waiting list applications at this time. This waiting list was last open for four days in June 2016. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application on the HF website. Applicants were allowed to apply to as many waiting lists as they would like.

These waiting lists have preferences, and the specific preferences vary by each property.

Applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, after sorting preferences.

It is estimated the waiting list length will be five years.

For more information, visit the HF website, or call the office at (503) 802-8300. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Section 8 Project-Based Voucher tenants are required to live in a specific apartment community or scattered site. After one year of occupancy, a Project-Based Voucher tenant may request to be placed on a waiting list to receive the next available Housing Choice Voucher or similar tenant-based rental assistance.

Last Updated on 04/26/2017.

Public Housing Waiting List: Closed

Please note: Home Forward covers Multnomah County, OR.
Home Forward (HF) is not accepting Public Housing waiting list applications at this time. This waiting list was last open for specific properties for three days in June 2016. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application. Applicants may have applied to as many open waiting lists as they liked.

These waiting lists have preferences, and the specific preferences vary by each property. Preference information for each property can be found here, under the "Frequently Asked Questions" section.

Applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, after sorting preferences.

It is estimated the waiting list length will be five years.

Important note: Applicants who have been placed on the waiting list must inform the housing authority immediately if your application information changes (such as contact information, income, and household members). In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list. Contact the housing authority to find out how to update application information.

For more information, visit the HF website, or call the office at (503) 802-8300.

Last Updated on 08/24/2016.

About the Home Forward Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of March 31st, 2016 the Home Forward manages 8,625 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each:

Family Unification Tenant Protection Moving To Work Ported Out VASH
Vouchers 95 53 7,709 152 510
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $780 $714 $718 $745 $644
Monthly Cost $74,108 $37,853 $5,531,799 $113,212 $328,201

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Home Forward

Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 10% having issued approximately 906 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 9 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of -1 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.2 persons and has a household income of $12,184 per year. 97% of households were very low income (VLI) and 82% were extremely low income (ELI). 22% of households had wages as a major source of income, 9% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 61% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

1% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 44% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 28% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 26% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

35% of households included children, 8% of which had two adults in the household. 30% of households with children have a female head of household. 66% of all households were headed by a female.

48% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 33% of all heads of households being Black and 1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Home Forward Housing Choice Voucher program, 28% include at least one person with a disability. 46% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 71% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

42% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 34% with 2 bedrooms and 24% with 3 or more bedrooms. 16% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Home Forward voucher holders in 2016 was $412 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $723. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $148.



1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.

Public Housing Operated by Home Forward

Humboldt Gardens

5025 N Vancouver Ave
Portland, Oregon
Humboldt Gardens is a 130 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Public Housing Project Based Rental Assistance

Northwest Towers

335 NW 19th Ave
Portland, Oregon
Northwest Towers is a 180 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Public Housing Project Based Rental Assistance

Hollywood East

4400 NE Broadway St
Portland, Oregon
Hollywood East is a 299 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Public Housing Project Based Rental Assistance

Tamarack

4233 N Alaska St
Portland, Oregon
Tamarack is a 120 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Public Housing Project Based Rental Assistance

Dalhke Manor

915 NE Schuyler St
Portland, Oregon
Dalhke Manor is a 115 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Public Housing Project Based Rental Assistance

Affordable Apartments near Home Forward

Fifth Avenue Court Apartments

Image of Fifth Avenue Court Apartments
221 NW 5th Ave
Portland, Oregon
Fifth Avenue Court Apartments is a 96 unit low income housing apartment community that provides St.-2 bedroom apartments for rent in Portland.

Burnside Station

240 SE 160th Ave
Portland, Oregon
Burnside Station is a 21 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Project Based Rental Assistance Accessible Units Persons With Disabilities

Myers Court

2600 N Williams Ave
Portland, Oregon
Myers Court is a 19 unit low income housing apartment community in Portland.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Project Based Rental Assistance Senior (62+) Accessible Units