City Attorney Davison statement on U.S Supreme Court Reversal of Ninth Circuit Ruling on Regulating Public Camping

Seattle (June 28, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Grants Pass, Oregon law prohibiting outdoor camping, overturning a 2018 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that constrained regulation of camping unless adequate shelter beds were available.

Last September, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison drafted a brief which was joined by dozens of other U.S. cities and many others who wrote additional amicus briefs to the Court, calling for review of the case.

City Attorney Davison today responded to the Court's ruling:

"Today's ruling makes it clear that determining policy to address homelessness is a task for locally elected leaders. This decision emphasizes the importance of local authority. The variety of local jurisdictions throughout the country that supported Grants Pass in this litigation demonstrates that local governments recognize the importance of creating safe and healthy environments for everyone in the community, a challenging task made even more difficult by the constraints of the Ninth Circuit's prior ruling. Supporting people who are homeless is a crucial responsibility we all bear. At the same time, we cannot ignore the impact of encampments on our communities. Local governments, nonprofit groups, and interested community members must all work towards common goals of more affordable housing, less fentanyl and addiction, and better behavioral health treatment. While I do not decide encampment policy as City Attorney, there remains a lot of work to be done and it will take all of us working together to make progress on these critical issues."

- Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison

###

city attorney, city atty