Home Forward Workers Respond to CEO Resignation

PORTLAND, OR – After weeks of controversy surrounding Home Forward’s CEO, workers are skeptical that her resignation will be enough to rebuild the organization’s credibility, or realign with their mission of keeping vulnerable Portland families housed.

“While we are glad to see that some accountability is being taken, these irresponsible budget decisions were not made by one person,” says Jennifer McMillan, a Policy and Quality Control Coordinator with Home Forward and President of AFSCME Local 3135. “Our entire leadership team failed to ethically serve our communities and enabled Ivory Mathews to allegedly misuse public funds while Home Forward struggled financially.”

Home Forward workers, represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 3135, have already been impacted by budget woes. In December 2025, management proposed layoffs for twelve represented workers, and five furlough days for the remaining staff. The union was able to fight to keep all but one position, and agreed to take the furlough days only if all staff, including managers, were forced to work without pay as well.

Tensions between workers and management have grown as Mathews’ exorbitant expenditures on work-related travel have been exposed over the past several weeks. Mathews’ reported severance package came as a shocking blow to staff.

“Most of our staff are barely making ends meet, and we’ve also been forced to work without pay because of the financial situation that Home Forward is in,” says McMillan. “The fact that our board both approved and defended Mathews’ travel spending, and also approved a severance package worth over $200,000 is absolutely insulting.”

Despite the current upheaval and the long road ahead to repair their confidence in the organization’s leadership, Home Forward workers remain dedicated to providing the highest quality housing support to residents across the Portland metro area.

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