HUD: Homelessness in Mississippi increased slightly in 2024

Date:2025-08-13 10:56:29 Category:US Views:1 Comment:0

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Though Mississippi still has the country’s lowest rate of homelessness, data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indicated an increase within the last year.

Homelessness has broadly skyrocketed nationally in recent memory. However, even in recent years, homelessness has trended downward in Mississippi. Numbers from 2024, the year with the latest data, are 24% lower than those in 2007. However, data from HUD’s Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress indicated that homelessness in Mississippi rose by 6% from 982 to 1,041.

According to the latest data from USAFacts, 3.5 out of every 10,000 people are homeless in Mississippi, up from 3.3 in the previous year. USAFacts relied on HUD’s annual report from 2024 for its findings. Below are the numbers relating to homeless Mississippians over the last two years.

Category	2023	2024
Homeless at the coldest time of year	778	874
Homeless people in families with children	204	167
Unaccompanied homeless youth	42	44
Homeless veterans	61	40
Chronically homeless	119	84
Sheltered homeless	538	555
Unsheltered homeless	444	486
Change year-over-year	17.9% decrease	6% increase

In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Oregon city’s ordinance outlawing homeless encampments. During the 2025 legislative session, the Mississippi Legislature passed a statewide law to outlaw similar campsites from appearing unless explicitly permitted by public authorities. Punishments range up to a $500 fine and six months in jail.

For those experiencing or at risk of facing homelessness, accessing resources is as easy as dialing 211. More than 200 local and national organizations staff the phone line to connect people to social services and other networks in their communities.

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