HACP Board Selects Ivory Mathews as Next Executive Director

Nationally recognized housing leader to lead Pittsburgh's largest provider of affordable housing; Board thanks Executive Director Caster D. Binion, who retires September 30 after more than a decade of service

Sept. 24, 2026: The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) today approved a resolution to enter into a contract with Ivory Mathews as the agency's next Executive Director, concluding a national search.

Mathews brings more than 30 years of public housing leadership to an agency that serves more than 18,000 Pittsburghers. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Home Forward, Oregon's largest housing authority, and as Executive Director of the Columbia Housing Authority in South Carolina. She has served as Senior Vice President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), which represents housing authorities before Congress and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and she has been a national voice for the residents and communities that public housing serves. A first-generation college graduate born and raised in substandard housing in rural South Carolina, Mathews has dedicated her career to addressing the needs of socioeconomically marginalized populations, including Black, Indian and People of Color (BIPOC) communities facing barriers to employment, education, health care, and safe housing.

"After an extensive national search, the Board is thrilled to welcome Ivory Mathews as the next Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh," said Wasi Mohamed, Chair of the HACP Board of Commissioners. "Ivory is a nationally recognized affordable housing executive who brings nearly three decades of transformational leadership, a proven track record of success, and a deep commitment to expanding access to affordable housing. Following a thorough review and extended conversations, we are confident in her ability to lead HACP into an exciting new chapter. We look forward to working together to strengthen our agency, deliver for our residents, and create more opportunities for Pittsburgh families."

Thanks to Executive Director Caster D. Binion

Executive Director Caster D. Binion will retire effective September 30, 2026, after leading HACP since 2013. A retired U.S. Army paratrooper and veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Binion led the agency through the $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods award for Larimer and East Liberty; the redevelopment of Addison Terrace into Skyline Terrace; the revitalization of Allegheny Dwellings; and the housing of more than 85 formerly homeless veterans through the HUD-VASH program.

"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."

About HACP

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh has provided affordable housing in Pittsburgh for nearly 90 years, serving more than 18,000 residents through public housing, mixed-finance developments, and the Housing Choice Voucher program. More information is available at hacp.org.