A joint legislative hearing on homelessness in Jackson brought municipal leaders, shelter operators, health officials and law-enforcement leaders together to describe trends, local programs and policy options for the state.

Chairman Chad McMahon, co-chairing the session, opened the meeting by saying that “homelessness seems to be on the rise in Mississippi,” and witnesses described rising point-in-time counts, concentrated pockets of need and a repeated link between homelessness, untreated mental illness and substance use disorders.

The hearing included testimony from Cathy (Kathy) Garner, executive director of the AIDS Services Coalition (ASC) in Hattiesburg; Don Lewis, administrator for the City of Tupelo; Hannah Mahary, executive director of Good Samaritan Health Services and chair of the Lee County committee on homelessness; Dietrich Johnson, team lead of The Bridge drop-in center with Hinds Behavioral Health Services; Hinds County Sheriff Jones; Steven Maxwell, director of the Corrections Investigative Division at the Mississippi Department of Corrections; Wendy Bailey, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; Petalamus White, founder and CEO of the Jackson Resource Center; and John McCormack of the State Auditor’s office. Tenured service providers, municipal staff and several senators and representatives asked questions and pressed for scalable approaches.

Why it matters: witnesses said accurate counts and coordinated services determine both federal funding and outcomes. Cathy Garner told lawmakers the federal point-in-time (PIT) count — taken the last week of January and submitted to Congress — helps determine funding levels, and urged legislative support to improve participation. She reported that Mississippi’s 2024 PIT for the “balance of state” showed a 14% increase overall, a 45% increase in children under 18 and a 26% increase for people over 55, while chronic homelessness and veteran homelessness declined (down about 14% and 9% respectively). Garner said the balance-of-state continuum covers 71 counties and that Hattiesburg accounted for roughly 30% of the unhoused in that region in 2024.

Local program examples: Tupelo leaders described a multi-pronged municipal approach that includes a formal relationship with Mississippi United to End Homelessness (MUTE), a close partnership with the Salvation Army, a city-run workforce program called Project Solution and coordinated outreach. Hannah Mahary said Tupelo’s 2024 PIT counted 54 people (16 unsheltered, 36 at The Salvation Army and 2 at the domestic-violence shelter), a roughly 30% unsheltered / 70% sheltered split that she said is the reverse of many other Mississippi regions. Mahary and Don Lewis described Project Solution as a supervised work program that pays roughly $15 an hour at about 20 hours per week and is tied to housing navigation, identification assistance and case management; city spending on that program was described as “under $10,000” annually for the municipal portion.

Service models and evidence: multiple witnesses — including the Department of Mental Health and providers — urged pairing housing with intensive, on-site services for people with serious mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders. Bailey highlighted the “choice” housing program (state-funded vouchers paired with community mental health services) and said 353 vouchers were provided last year with a 1% readmission rate to state hospitals for voucher recipients. She also described federal PATH and other grant programs operating in Mississippi, and encouraged expansion of certified peer support specialists, drop-in centers and integrated care models such as certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs).

Law enforcement and corrections perspective: Sheriff Jones and Steven Maxwell (MDOC) described frequent law‑enforcement contact with people experiencing homelessness and emphasized public-safety and public-health consequences when behavioral health and substance use go untreated. Maxwell said many people remanded to MDOC have mental illness or substance use disorders, argued for statewide behavioral-health deflection options and recommended pilot programs linking law enforcement, corrections and community behavioral health providers.

Nonprofit-led housing and client stories: Jackson Resource Center’s Petalamus White described a permanent supportive housing campus built from a renovated nursing home and said on-site supportive services are core to tenant stability. A tenant, Joshua, told lawmakers he worked at UPS, had more than four years of sobriety and credited the program with preventing a return to the streets.

Policy and legal issues: John McCormack of the State Auditor’s office told the committee that the constitution allows the legislature to authorize municipalities and counties to dedicate public resources for certain public purposes and gave statutory examples that authorize use of public equipment for debris removal, cemetery maintenance and emergency cleanup. Several witnesses urged clearer statewide coordination, more outcome reporting from providers, and consideration of rules to distinguish unsheltered camping from people in need so communities can prioritize treatment and housing placement.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the hearing. Legislators said they would consider drafting legislation or pilot proposals to expand proven service models, improve data and funding flows, and explore regional solutions.

Ending: witnesses asked the Legislature to support coordination, funding for wraparound services and stronger discharge planning from hospitals, jails and state facilities so people are not released without housing or care. Several panelists offered to work with lawmakers on specific pilot proposals; lawmakers closed the hearing saying they would consider follow-up action and possible legislation.