The Downtown Spokane Partnership applauds a ruling issued Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows cities to ban camping in public places, while Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown calls for further investment in programs and services for homeless people.

The high-court decision reverses lower court rulings in Grants Pass v. Johnson and Martin v. Boise, both of which had voided anti-camping bans and similar ordinances when shelter for the homeless is unavailable.

Emilie Cameron, president and CEO of Downtown Spokane Partnership, says the lower-court rulings had made it “more difficult, not less, to help the homeless accept services.”

Cameron adds, “Cities need a range of tools to address the crisis of homelessness, which includes the need for enforcement in dynamic and flexible ways.”

Meantime, Brown says the city of Spokane will continue to respond to unlawful camping and other code violations through police enforcement, the Spokane Fire Department’s behavioral health response, and the city’s Homeless Outreach Team.

“We are committed to getting to the root causes of the unhoused crisis by making investments in mental and behavioral health care, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, and creating more transitional and permanent housing,” Brown says.

Spokane voters passed a ballot initiative with 75% approval in November that bans camping within 1,000 feet of many public areas, but the ban hasn’t been strictly enforced pending the outcome of the Grants Pass and Martin appeals.