A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in a key Fair Housing Act case that Miami has standing to claim in court that it was harmed by the discriminatory lending practices of banks—but it must meet a high standard of proof to establish causation.

The 5-3 ruling found that Miami's damages—including diminished property taxes and higher costs of city services—fell within the “zone of interest” of the housing law.

Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the majority and emphasizing longstanding court precedents, wrote, “We hold that the City's claimed injuries fall within the zone of interests that the FHA arguably protects. Hence, the City is an 'aggrieved person' able to bring suit under the statute.”