Mississippi lawmakers in recent years have introduced legislation to get a better handle on homelessness in the state but have been met with little success.
That could change in the upcoming legislative session after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that cleared the way for states and local governments to make sleeping out of doors illegal.
Here are four key things to know:
How many people are unhoused in Mississippi?
While Mississippi has the lowest rate of homelessness in the nation — 3.3 per 10,000 residents — there are roughly 1,000 unhoused people, most of whom are located in the Jackson metro and Gulf Coast areas. According to figures released in 2023 by the National Alliance to End Homelessness , the most recent available, about one-third of the unhoused live in Jackson Metro. More than 250 live on the Gulf Coast.
Of the remaining areas of the state, Hattiesburg has the next highest number of unhoused people — around 140 — according to the latest point-in-time report provided to NAEH by the Mississippi Continuum of Care, followed by Meridian with 83 and Tupelo with 64. The 2024 point-in-time report does not currently include the Jackson or Coast figures.
While the NAEH's method of counting those who are unhoused is consistent from year to year, many unhoused people are not accounted for.
What are lawmakers doing to combat homelessness?
According to state Rep. Zakiya Summers, D-Jackson, the House is already discussing the issue. She is hopeful that progress will be made under the leadership of House Speaker Jason White. Summers has tried to introduce legislation in the past that could help the unhoused get identification if they need it, which would enable them to apply for housing assistance and other social and health services.
The state Senate also is planning a series of hearings to talk about what can be done from a legislative perspective, said Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall. He introduced a bill in the Senate last year that would make sleeping in many public places illegal, but the bill also seeks to provide access to mental health care or substance abuse treatment if needed and if the person wants help. He said from the studies he's read, the majority of unhoused people have drug addiction or mental health issues and sometimes both.
Summers and Fillingane hope to introduce similar legislation in 2025.
In depth: What will homelessness look like in Mississippi after recent Supreme Court decision?
What is homelessness?
In a nutshell:
- A homeless person is one who is without a home, often one who is living on the streets. The term "homeless" and "homelessness" are most commonly used in lay terms and by government agencies.
- An unhoused or houseless person is one who has no physical address, whether they live on the streets, in a tent or have temporary lodging at a shelter or other location.
- An unsheltered person is one who is without shelter, for instance a tent or other place to get out of the elements.
- Housing insecurity happens when a person does not have stable or adequate housing, including those who are being evicted or regularly come up short when paying their monthly bills.
Unhoused in Jackson: When homeless people migrate, trash is left behind. Who should clean up the properties?
What is the Supreme Court's ruling on homeless encampments?
Earlier appellate court rulings determined that banning unhoused people from sleeping in public places constituted cruel and unusual punishment — a violation of the Eighth Amendment.
The Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling determined a person's Eighth Amendment rights would not be violated by a law that prohibits sleeping in public places. While the ruling does not force states and local governments to enact such bans, it paves the way for them to do so.
Anyone can be fined or jailed for sleeping in public places that have enacted such bans.
Advocates for the unhoused say these kinds of laws would criminalize being homeless and would not stop people from being unhoused, according to a report by the NAEH .
Have you or someone you know ever been without a home? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com . Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge .
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: What we know about homelessness in Mississippi: 4 key things
Local News
