Amid the bustle of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson stood firm, delivering a promise-packed State of the County address. Intending to heal the city's sore spots, Pederson charted a path for tackling persistent urban dilemmas exacerbated by the pandemic, informed citizens listening attentively on Monday, April 29, reported Multnomah County.
Pederson's speech framed a County pressing forward despite the anchor of COVID-19, which strained systems to their breaking points, amplifying woes tied to housing, addiction, and escalating costs for essentials like healthcare, childcare, and more. “Our County is moving forward, making progress in our achievement, and being accountable to the public every day,” she said, recognizing the uphill battle still raging, per Multnomah County.
The Chair spotlighted cradle-to-grave initiatives aimed at alleviating hardship. "To a broken and unaffordable childcare system, we are providing free quality, joyful preschool for more than 2,000 kids this year in Preschool for All,” Pederson outlined, while also detailing substantial investments in addiction, mental health, and supportive housing services, as cited by Multnomah County.
From help for the justice entangled to nourishment in areas bereft of resources, the plan is comprehensive, pushing out services far and wide to implant equity into necessities such as nutrition, transport, and that democratic cornerstone – the right to vote, she added. Partnerships are key, evidenced by Multnomah County's collaborative Homelessness Response Action Plan, designed to shelter, house, and sustain thousands in the community, especially targeting vulnerable groups such as people of color and the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Vega Pederson beamed with pride while sharing local success stories during her address, like that of Vicky, a woman battling homelessness who found a lifeline through the Behavioral Health Resource Center. The centerpiece of these community triumphs is the County's innovative Executive Budget, a $29 million war chest, blending state, city, and county funds earmarked for taking on substance use and laying the groundwork for a dropoff sobering and deflection center.
In the arena of early childhood education, the Preschool for All program is marching towards its goal of accessible preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds. With infrastructure grants to childcare settings, the program is knitting a tapestry of opportunities for the county’s youngest minds. Family cares Daycare, for instance, flaunted its doubled capacity and enhanced staff support under this boon, all part of the grander scheme Vega Pederson is overseeing to cement Multnomah County's place as an equitable, diverse, and just region, fortified by a resolute Workforce Equity Strategic Plan.
The roundup of acknowledgments continued with Vega Pederson tipping her hat to fellow board members for their relentless dedication to health, housing, and the economic vitality of Eastern Multnomah. Her call to action was clear: join forces with the county, partake in this mission, and heave towards change with the same tenacity it takes to build lasting infrastructure.
Wrapping up, Vega Pederson engaged in a Q&A, exuding a mix of pragmatism and urgency. “We have to do both: We have to build the bridge and fix our structures so they can support people better. And we have to do this work with urgency,” she implored, the resolve in her words echoing through the museum halls, as per Multnomah County.
