June 19, 2023 on The Story: In November, Multnomah County voters elected a new county chair, Jessica Vega Pederson. With a new budget just approved, she now helms a government entity with a $3.5 billion budget and a primary role in combating homelessness in the greater Portland area. The importance of her role can't be overstated. The Story's Pat Dooris recently sat down with Vega Pederson for a one-on-one interview, naturally centering the issue of homelessness and how she plans to proceed. Tonight we bring you part one of that interview. Watch more The Story videos: http://bit.ly/watchTheStory Follow The Story on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheStoryKGW Follow The Story on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thestorykgw