Community activist L. Marie Brown has launched an emergency water relief campaign for residents of the Blossoms Apartments in Jackson, Mississippi, after water and power were reportedly shut off for more than 40 families this week.
In a live video posted to social media on Tuesday, July 22, Brown spotlighted deplorable conditions at the apartment complex, which is owned by Tony Little—who also serves as head of the Southside Economic Development District (SEDD) in Monroe, Louisiana.
Brown described the property as being in worse condition than the infamous Parkview Apartments in Monroe, citing repeated electrical violations, window fans, a neglected pool filled with algae and debris, and at least one tenant who was evicted after speaking to the media. She posted her video at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1G3gw96pCL/
During her video, Brown interviewed residents who claimed they are paying up to $900 per month in rent without government assistance, despite ongoing issues with broken air conditioning, deteriorating grounds, and the constant threat of water shut-offs.
On Wednesday morning, she said, several tenants contacted her with urgent news—the city had shut off water service to the entire complex.
The media in Jackson have been following Little’s growing water dispute including, WAPT-16 and the Mississippi Free Press.
“They woke up with no water to drink, no way to bathe, no way to cook,” Brown said. “We cannot allow this to continue.”
Brown is now organizing a water donation drive to aid the residents of Little’s apartments. Supporters are being asked to deliver cases of bottled water to the Flowery Mount Baptist Church at 1600 Wood Street in Jackson. Donations will be accepted beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
“Without water, toilets don’t work, there are no showers and those with medical problems are vulnerable,” said Brown on Wednesday.
Brown said she confirmed that the water was shut off at the complex Wednesday morning. The outages stem from an ongoing legal dispute between Little and JXN Water, the city’s utility provider, over an unpaid water bill that has ballooned to nearly $500,000.
Little maintains that the water charges are incorrect and that he is suffering financially due to a city-managed pipe project, which he claims caused part of the street around the apartments to collapse.
According to him, the resulting infrastructure damage has allowed mud to enter several units, rendering them uninhabitable.
JXN Water, however, stated that the bill has been delinquent since 2020 and that no payments have been made since 2024. The company now plans to refer the matter to the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office for further action. Authorities report that since Little had a repayment plan and did not keep it; the entire amount due will be necessary to restore water to the apartments.
“The city of Jackson is responsible for the road damage,” JXN Water said in a statement. “But the property owner is responsible for paying for water.”
Brown noted the irony in the situation, pointing out that Little, as chairman of Monroe’s SEDD, has publicly promoted his housing experience and has pushed for SEDD to develop affordable housing initiatives in Monroe’s Southside.
“Many of his tenants did not know he lives comfortably in Monroe, across the street from the mayor. If this is how he treats residents in Jackson, how can we trust him when he says he’s concerned about South Monroe?”
The water campaign continues as Brown and volunteers prepare to deliver water to dozens of families in desperate need in Jackson.
