LAS Vegas officials have passed a law that will make it illegal for the homeless to sleep on the streets when beds are available.

The decision was passed in a 5-2 council vote on Wednesday, with protestors calling it a "war on the poor."

Supporters of the ordinance, however, say it's an attempt to push more than 6,500 homeless people and families of southern Nevada into shelters.

The measure will apply mainly to the city's downtown urban core – not the tourist-heavy Strip, which is overseen by a different jurisdiction.

Starting Sunday, people found "camping, lodging, sitting, lying down, sleeping and similar activities" in most downtown areas will be given a warning by public officers.

Then, beginning in 2020, these misdemeanors will become punishable by up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Emotions ran high at a City Council meeting ahead of the decision, with city marshals ejecting several audience members who were deemed disruptive by Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

Following the decision, Mayor Goodman said on Twitter: "The city believes the ordinance will be a benefit to the homeless population, while at the same time protecting the health and safety of the entire community.

"The city has always demonstrated compassion for the needs of the growing homeless population, understanding the public safety of everyone is a top priority."

'CRIMINALIZING THE HOMELESS'

The city council said Las Vegas has committed $16 million to the Courtyard Homeless Resource Center, which provides housing services addressing chronic homelessness.

Meanwhile, those protesting said attaching charges to homelessness actually hinders homeless people's ability to get back on their feet.

Rev. Leonard Jackson, associate pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church, said the decision was "criminalizing the homeless."

Around 100 people chanted, "The war on the poor has got to go," before taking their protests to the meeting, which lasted more than nine hours.

According to a 2016 study of over 400 homeless people in Vegas, 84 percent were found to sleep mostly outside a shelter, while 55 percent said they had not used any shelter services in the past year.

Vegas' homelessness problem has been caused by a number of factors – including job loss, high rent and a lack of mental health services.

Across the US, other cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Honolulu have been faced with complaints about their homelessness issues, too.

Last year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a similar law to Vegas' from Boise, Idaho, declaring it is unconstitutional to prosecute people for sleeping on the streets when beds are not available.

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Vegas has crafted its law to withstand such a challenge, reports claim, stating "if beds are available" in its provision.

An annual survey taken one night in January counted more than 5,500 people on the streets in Las Vegas and surrounding cities and county property.

Officials estimate that more than 14,000 people are homeless in and around Las Vegas at some point during the year.

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