SPOKANE, Wash. — In a six to three decision Supreme Court Justices ruled it is *not* cruel and unusual punishment to ban camping in public places. The decision allows cities to enforce stricter bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places.
Spokane City leaders say this will lead to a cleaner city while homeless advocates, like Maurice Smith, say that won't be the case.
Smith was once the camp manager for Washington State's biggest homeless camp.
"We were concerned that this was going to happen," Smith said. "So it doesn't come as a surprise."
He's now a homeless advocate helping the unhoused in the community. Smith is not pleased with the Supreme Court's decision to enforce stricter bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places.
Smith said, "I'm hoping that the city of Spokane will tap the brakes on this, because why enforce an ordinance that sends people away without a place for them to go."
Back in September of 2022, then-Mayor Nadine Woodward announced the city would begin enforcing its current sit and lie ordinance. The ordinance allowed the city to remove people from sitting or lying on public sidewalks if there was available shelter space. The city could not enforce the law if there is no shelter space.
"It opens up a lot of opportunities for us as a city to enforce laws that were taken away from us," Spokane City Councilmember Jonathan Bingle said.
But now, with the Supreme Court's decision, the city can remove and prosecute anyone sitting or lying on a public sidewalk if there's shelter space available or not. Bingle says the new decision will lead to a cleaner Spokane.
"This will give us the opportunity to help clean it up a little bit," Bingle said. "We've made serious investments in mental health and in shelter space and in addiction services."
Other homeless advocates like Julie Garcia with Jewels Helping Hands disagree and said the city has to do more.
"We haven't prioritized mass amounts of treatment beds and access to mental health care," Garcia said.
In a statement from Mayor Lisa Brown's office to KREM 2, it said quote, "The city of Spokane has been and will continue to respond to unlawful camping and code violations... We are also working closely with non-profit and community organizations that engage in outreach and provide paths to stability."
The city says they are still responding to complaints of unlawful camping. The city's legal team, courts and police are still reviewing the Supreme Court's decision.
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