JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A roundtable discussion, hosted by the Mississippi Black Caucus for Local Elected Officials, focused on the issue of blight and disinvestment in Mississippi communities.

Eyesores in neighborhoods across the state have caused issues for residents and business owners.

Felicia McClinton, who lives in West Jackson, said she values her home and takes pride in where she stays. She said something needs to be done about dilapidated properties in her neighborhood.

“Blight. It’s when those abandoned houses turn into drug homes. That’s what blighted. You have a new flow of people coming in as people get moved out. We had a new flow of people coming into our neighborhood whose values were not the same is ours as we were growing up,” she said.

Programs, such as Neighborhood First and Revitalize Mississippi, have allowed people to purchase properties from the city and state to help alleviate blight.

Dilapidated properties are not just a Jackson issue.

“We look at a city, like Vicksburg, we have our issues with housing, and today we’re learning from different people across the state of Mississippi who don’t have a solid of the issues,” said Vicksburg Alderman TJ Mayfield, Ward 1.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba spoke briefly about the topic during a news conference on Monday.

“Some of the limitations on dilapidated structures is the way that the law is currently structured. It creates a lot of loopholes. It creates a lot of red tape. That makes it difficult,” the mayor said.

Several speakers discussed strategies, such as effective leadership, and provided educational information to those in attendance.

Leaders are asking the Mississippi Legislature to provide more funding for programs designed to fight blight across the state.