"I commend the group of community leaders stepping up do to what Multnomah County has repeatedly refused to consider—turning the Wapato facility into a large scale shelter with on-site services for people experiencing homelessness," says Smith. "As we continue to close existing shelters in the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis, we need leaders willing to work with those in the community to push forward better solutions. It is my hope this is the beginning of a fresh start for better serving the homeless residents of Multnomah County."