Preschool park in South Nashville overtaken by homeless: ‘This is a drug-use issue’

A beautiful, state-of-the art park for preschoolers in one of the poorest parts of Nashville has been dramatically altered because homeless people and drug users were taking over the park.

Azafrán Park on Nolensville Pike is a case study in how the city of Nashville is struggling with a growing homeless problem.

The park is a public private partnership. $1.5 million in fundraising, another half million from Metro Parks and you had the prettiest little pre-school park in low-income South Nashville.

Then the homeless discovered it and trouble followed.

“Some people were living under the pavilion and they were using the water splash for their own bathroom needs and then we all together took action to see how we could bring the park back to safety. Many people of course felt unsafe,” said Marta Silva, Interim Executive Director of Conexion Americas…. (Excerpts from Fox 17 Nashville)