NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Like a bright yellow example of issues facing Nashville, a school bus parked near the tall and skinny homes has drawn questions from at least one neighbor.
The Edgehill woman asked to remain anonymous at the advice of Metro Police, but feels uneasy about the two men who've made the bus their home.
"Over a month ago. The bus pulled in and it was right there on 14th Avenue in front of the playground," she said.
The bus sits near Edgehill Community Memorial Garden. The neighbor said she tried to contact law enforcement, the mayors office and council members about the bus.
"At that time, which was several weeks ago, they told me there were no laws or codes that restricted or prohibited the bus from being there," she said. "Because it was a public street they could be there for as long as they wanted to be there."
A Metro Police spokesperson said there was nothing in state law about the issue. The two men aren't bothering nearby residents or doing anything illegal by parking in the public right-of-way.
However, the situation does highlight the harmful reality of the pandemic on people across the country.
Homeless advocates, such as Metro Councilman Freddie O'Connell, said it's well known that there are many people living in their cars throughout the city. The bus is just a much larger version of that.
One of the men living in the bus told NewsChannel5 that he had moved to the area from Ohio. He was looking for work but has struggled. He said he came here to escape a bad situation and was living sober in the city.
"The hard part for anyone who lacks housing is okay, if you're saying you're not comfortable with them being in one spot, where are we comfortable," asked Councilman O'Connell. "We don't have any kind of sanctioned space for people who are [homeless] to safely exist."
O'Connell said in situations like this it's best to try to get the people help.
"The way I think of it is, how do we get these guys connected to housing or get them on some type of pathway that lets them earn a wage and let's them track into housing," said O'Connell.
