A 2022 Policy Change Eliminated One of Home Forward’s Tools for Controlling Bad Behavior

Home Forward, Portland’s housing authority, passed a 2022 policy change that significantly narrowed when it would terminate rent assistance for voucher holders, requiring felony convictions rather than arrests or evidence for drug dealing and violent crimes—a move led by then-policy director Taylor Smiley Wolfe, who now works as deputy chief of staff for Governor Tina Kotek. The policy change, justified on racial equity grounds despite data showing white tenants were overrepresented in most termination categories, has left residents like those at the Louisa Flowers apartment building frustrated with unchecked drug dealing and dangerous behavior. Home Forward has not studied the policy’s effects since implementation over three years ago, though it hired a consultant in February 2025 to begin assessment, and the agency’s board maintains the approach prioritizes housing stability over punitive measures.