The city council in Columbia, South Carolina voted unanimously to ban all homeless people from its downtown business area.
The city council in Columbia, South Carolina voted unanimously to ban all homeless people from its downtown business area.
Violators will be jailed, but those who wish to comply can stay at a shelter just outside the city limits. The catch is that they have to be among the first 240 to get there and are not permitted to leave the grounds by means other than the official shuttle booked by appointment.
It’s estimated that Columbia has over 1500 homeless citizens.
Police have been assigned to patrol both the restricted city region and the road near the shelter to make sure no homeless people are meandering around either.
Should the officers not catch all of the individuals violating the new plan, business owners and residents are encouraged to call the new hotline set up by the city.
According to the councilman who proposed the plan, the removal of several benches throughout the city is another measure being taken to ensure the homeless don’t make themselves comfortable.
South Carolina’s ACLU legal director is looking into the situation and said that giving the limited options of being jailed or shuttled out of town is an abuse of power.
