Housing authority names its next leader

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh selected its next executive director Thursday, Ivory N. Mathews, a longtime public housing leader who is at the center of an ethics investigation in Oregon.

With more than 30 years of public housing leadership, Mathews has been long recognized as a prominent figure in the national public housing landscape.

She served as senior vice president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, as well as on the board of directors for the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, both headquartered in Washington, D.C. In 2022, NAHRO named her the recipient of its Advocacy Award, which recognizes “innovative achievements in the arena of legislative advocacy.”

Most recently, she held the position of chief executive officer of Home Forward, the housing authority in the city of Portland, Ore., but resigned from that role in May after more than four years on the job. The announcement of her resignation came just a month after reporting from the Willamette Week revealed she had spent more than $100,000 in public dollars on travel between 2023 and 2025.

Shortly thereafter, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted in August to open an investigation into Mathews.

In the commission’s preliminary report obtained by the Willamette Week, Mathews appeared to regularly exceed per diem and reimbursement rates set by the federal government (which funds Home Forward), she did not appear to receive any authorization for travel expenses from the agency or its board and appeared to charge expenses to Home Forward for additional days in other cities before or after destination conference dates, among other potential ethics violations.

The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh unanimously approved a resolution Thursday morning appointing Mathews as the next executive director after conducting “an extensive national search.”

“I definitely feel like it’s a home run hire,” Wasi Mohamed, chair of the HACP Board of Commissioners, told the Post-Gazette. “You know it’s very difficult to find somebody who is day-one ready to lead the agency, knows exactly what to do, does not need to be trained up, is ready to go, and has all the relationships and the knowledge we need to get moving.

“And that’s why the board has so much confidence in her.”

Mohamed added that he has “no concerns” there will be unapproved travel happening at the agency, as it has a “pretty strict system” in place.

Mathews is set to take over the agency Oct. 1, coinciding with the retirement of Caster Binion, who has led the agency since 2013.

Binion, a retired U.S. Army paratrooper and veteran of Operation Desert Storm, led the agency through several major projects — including the redevelopment of Addison Terrace into Skyline Terrace; the revitalization of Allegheny Dwellings; and the housing of more than 85 unhoused veterans through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, also known as HUD-VASH.

“Caster Binion gave this agency and this city more than a decade of service, and he brought real investment into neighborhoods that had waited a long time for it,” Mohamed said. “The board thanks him and wishes him well in his retirement.”

Despite the ongoing investigation into Mathews, her appointment came with mounting support from local and state leaders.

“I welcome Ivory Matthews’ proven experience in delivering affordable housing units, particularly at a time where there is an acute need in Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Erika Strassburger said in a statement. “Our governments and partners are most effective when we have leaders who are able to deliver results, but who can also form productive relationships between stakeholders. Dr. Matthews has a track record in achieving both of these goals.”

U.S. Rep Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, also expressed support in a statement. “Public housing works best when residents are not an afterthought, but at the center of every decision,” she said. “Ivory Mathews understands that. She brings years of experience leading complex housing systems while staying grounded in the needs and voices of tenants. As Washington creates new uncertainty for families who depend on our housing institutions, I’m confident Ivory will provide the steady, accountable leadership Pittsburgh needs and ensure HACP remains focused on its most important responsibility: serving its residents.”

Mohamed would not comment on what the HACP would do should the Oregon Government Ethics Commission find Mathews guilty of ethics violations.

“You just have to come talk to us whenever that is released and see if anything’s changed. It really depends,” he said.