Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson in Tuesday’s meeting raised concerns that have worried her before about what she believes is an increase in homeless persons on the streets of her commission district.

The commissioner questioned whether homeless shelters that receive funds from Jefferson County are doing their jobs to combat homelessness.

“How do we go about grading them on this?” Tyson asked. “I have seen a peak in homelessness in my district, and I’m talking about not a little bit. You can ride a mile and you see tents,” Tyson said of her District 1, a wide swath that includes most of northern and eastern Birmingham.

“How do we go about making sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to do? I want to see the report, because it’s something ain’t right,” she continued. “It’s either they (agencies are) bringing people in and putting them over in the district or they’re becoming homeless. I don’t know which one it is but it’s a growing problem.”

Tyson said she’s not talking about “doing away with” homeless persons.

“I’m talking about helping them, making sure this money’s going where it’s supposed to go and not in salaries,” she said. “I would like a written report, and I would like to meet with them.”

Speaking after the meeting, Community Services Director Frederick Hamilton expressed confidence that the agencies are doing what they can with the Emergency Solutions Grant funds they receive.

“The allocation that we get from HUD is $214,000, of which we get 7½% of that in admin. You’re talking right at a little bit under $200,000 divided between three or four or five agencies,” Hamilton said. “It’s just a small piece of money to help support the operations of their program.”

The community services director said a number of agencies — including Firehouse Shelter, Jessie’s Place, Brother Bryan Mission, First Light and Pathways — receive county money to offer programs aimed at getting people off the street.

“But $214,000 will come nowhere near solving the homeless issue in the county,” he said.

Homelessness is a difficult puzzle to solve, Hamilton said. Challenges include poverty, unemployment, underemployment, mental illness and substance abuse. Funds from other governments, foundations and individual donors also go toward groups working on the problem in the Birmingham area.

The commission will meet in Bessemer on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the courtroom of Judge David Hobdy, in Room 340 in the Bessemer Justice Center.

Because of the unusually cold temperatures, three warming stations are open Tuesday night for unhoused residents as well as those who do not have sufficient heat for the harsh weather.

Jimmie Hale Mission is open for men, women and families at 1569 Cooper Hill Road; Pathways will be open for women and children, at 409 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.; and a warming shelter will be open at Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, at 1431 13th Avenue N. in Bessemer.