NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville's Metro Council is weighing a substitute budget that would direct more money toward affordable housing and safety initiatives, including increasing the Barnes Housing Trust Fund to $23 million.
Metro Council Budget and Finance Committee Chair Kyonzté Toombs filed the FY2027 Substitute Budget Ordinance on Friday, building on Mayor Freddie O'Connell's recommended budget while incorporating feedback from council members, community stakeholders and residents.
"This substitute budget reflects the priorities we heard directly from residents across Nashville and Davidson County. It makes meaningful investments in housing stability, community safety, and services for our most vulnerable neighbors while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. At its core, this budget is about improving quality of life and creating opportunities for every Nashvillian to thrive," Toombs said.
The proposal includes an additional $1 million for the Barnes Housing Trust Fund, bringing the total to $23 million. Other key investments include an additional $2.1 million for the Eviction Right to Counsel Program, an additional $1.25 million to the Office of Homeless Services to support continued operation of the Rodeway Inn through the Hospitality Hub, $401,500 to the Nashville Fire Department for a second fully funded shift of the REACH program, and $250,000 for workforce development through the Urban League of Middle Tennessee.
"We're excited to work with the Office of Homeless Services and Metro Council to provide a stable, lasting transition for the most vulnerable members of our community," Jarad Bingham of The Hospitality Hub said.
To see what that housing investment could mean for residents, I visited the Drakes Creek Cooperative in Nashville.
Judy Marshall has lived at the Drakes Creek Cooperative and says the co-op model has given her more than just a place to live.
"You get the equity in the building or live in the apartment you live in, and as it grows your mindset grows," Marshall said.
Unlike traditional affordable housing, co-ops require each resident to buy in, giving neighbors a collective vote on how the community is run. As property values grow, so does each resident's equity — and stable housing costs help them save along the way.
"You can sell your home and still receive something for the time you stayed here," Marshall said. "In the co-op you have total say in how the community has ran."
"Just being able to say that will make your chest grow up," Marshall said.
Marshall, who works as a pharmacy tech at the VA, said without the co-op, her stability in Nashville would be at risk.
"Taxes have gone up. Rent has gone up all over Nashville all over the city," Marshall said. "You've gotta find someplace and I may have to settle for something that's less than."
Stephen Watts, the co-op's housing developer, said public investment in projects like Drakes Creek generates returns that go far beyond dollars.
"Projects like this produces so much more value than could ever be put in," Watts said. "That value is created by families who are working in Nashville, greeting community in Nashville and really create the backbone of our city."
"That's the value because when people come here, they're coming for a city, a culture, and the culture doesn't exist if the people who can't live here can't live here," Watts said.
Marshall said she and her neighbors are committed to making the most of any funding that comes their way.
"Whatever money they provide for us we're gonna use it the best we can," Marshall said.
She hopes more co-ops across Nashville will give more residents the same opportunity she has had.
"You'll be proud of your community," Marshall said.
The substitute budget was developed following weeks of departmental review, council collaboration, and public engagement, including a nearly four-hour public hearing on June 2. The Metropolitan Council is scheduled to consider the FY2027 Substitute Budget at its June 16, 2026 meeting.
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