NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A West Nashville community group once again rallied to return Brookmeade Park to the public. There have been lengthy discussions from the city to do so, but so far the group said nothing's happened.
The Thursday night rally concerned the need for an exit plan for the campers, as well as a need for mental health and addiction support to help those remaining on the property.
Mayor John Cooper wants $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to be earmarked to address homelessness. While the administration has been talking about it all summer, the Metro Council Affordable Housing Committee is still studying the proposal.
Reclaim Brookmeade Park wants the city to use the money immediately and in an impactful way.
"Well, our biggest concern is how they spend that money at this point. And if they spend that money on building a giant high-rise for the future that's going to be ready in three to five years — that's a problem," said Rebecca Lowe, the founder of Reclaim Brookmeade Park. "We need to definitely look at what can happen right now for people who are chronically unsheltered and have no real place to go. We really need to make sure that they spend that money properly to address what's happening right now at this moment."
On the outskirts of the park, while a large amount of debris is visible on about any given day, deeper into the park the group believes there are still more than 40 people from the unhoused community calling it home. A handful of members from the community have also said they have no intention of leaving.
Reclaim Brookmeade Park began efforts more than a year and a half ago to help restore the park. They say the taxpayers in the area deserve to have their green space back and the people occupying the space deserve more resources to be able to leave. The Metro Park has been a well-established encampment for more than a decade.
"We need a short-term solution. There has to be something addressed to folks that are newly homeless and have nowhere to go. We’re just not sufficiently supplied for that here in Nashville," said Lowe.
The city is planning a park cleanup for September 16. Lowe said they’ve had three previously, but the debris and people continue to overflow through the park.
The chairwoman of the affordable housing committee is intent on a final vote on the $50 million in federal funding happening at the October 4 Metro Council meeting. She said the money will be used on both emergency gap housing and long term solutions.
