Approved earlier this month and now in operation, the plan - dubbed ‘Emergency Homeless Response’ - means anyone caught sleeping rough in the city centre of Columbia, South Carolina can be asked by police to relocate to a homeless shelter on the edge of the city (currently being operated with the assistance of local charities). If they choose not to move to the shelter - 15 miles away from the main ‘downtown’ business district - they can be arrested under a range of existing laws such as loitering.

The shelter does not operate an open door policy. Any homeless individuals wishing to return to the main business districts for any reason have to book an appointment on a dedicated shuttle bus. Police will be stationed to redirect homeless people attempting to leave the shelter area and re-enter the city.

Although many business owners have welcomed the initiative, the move has also met with widespread protests. Both the homeless population and other members of the Columbia community have taken to the streets to voice their objections to the plan.

Columbia isn’t the first city to implement such strict legislation, with Tampa and Portland among the major cities to have introduced tough new measures to try and decrease the amount of homeless people on the streets.