On Friday, a case challenging Denver’s urban camping ban centered around whether enough shelter beds are available for those sleeping unhoused on the streets.

Denverite reported that other U.S. courts have held that cities cannot outlaw street camping if shelter space is inadequate.

Tony Robinson, a researcher at the University of Denver, rebuffed the city’s contention in the courtroom that current shelters have empty beds and therefore have capacity for those who the urban camping ban targets.

Denver’s law has been in effect since 2012, when it passed the city council on a 9-4 vote. At the time, Councilman Christopher Herndon said that “it’s going to help people get connected to the resources they need.”

A report one year later from Denver Homeless Out Loud found that people waited in long lines over multiple hours to get into shelters, and were sometimes turned away.

“Many people simply cannot access what limited shelter options exist, due to the fact that they are a couple, they have a pet that is not allowed, they fear being robbed by the strangers in a shelter, or they might have psychological difficulties with crowded and claustrophobic conditions,” it read.

Denver police as of this year reported approaching 12,000 individuals while enforcing the ban, but citing and arresting very few of them.

Voters in May had the opportunity to repeal the ban, which they instead upheld with over 82% of the vote.