Findings of investigation into homelessness and climate change published

Museum of Homelessness today launches Severe Weather Emergency, the findings from a six month investigation into climate event preparedness of homelessness systems in England and Wales. Severe Weather Emergency was covered exclusively by Open Democracy and you can find their story on the research here

Severe Weather Emergency is the first comprehensive analysis of Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, driven by the need to have more effective mitigation for extreme weather.

Our investigation, which looked at data from 91 local authorities covering two years of activity, found that:

• More than a quarter of councils did not activate SWEP in the period, or did not could not provide information on what they did in periods of extreme weather.

• 55% of councils provide ‘short burst’ SWEP, often for one or two nights only. People sleeping rough told us that it was not worth going inside for such short periods.

• 50% of councils did not offer follow on support to people

• More people die in summer than in winter, nevertheless only 53% of councils put measures in to respond to extreme heat.

• During the July 2022 heatwave, when temperatures reached 40 degrees, in London and many other cities SWEP was not activated.

• 0% of councils had measures in place for extreme rain or flash flooding.

• We found evidence that SWEP is offered conditionally, when it should be an emergency humanitarian offer, open to all.

• The verification system, where people have to be seen bedding down to recieve help is putting lives at risk.

• Problems with Streetlink referrals and outreach response times are putting lives at risk.

Overall we conclude that significant changes are needed for the homelessness systems to be ready for climate mitigation. We make full recommendations in the report, including for local climate taskforces where people experiencing homelessness design the solutions needed.

You can read the full report here

Background: In the summer of 2022, the UK was swept with some of the hottest weather ever seen here. The heatwaves were by no means restricted to the UK; across the world, countries struggled with drought and wildfires. In the UK, parks became parched and the topic of poorly insulated homes came to the surface as a national conversation about climate change began.

This was not an entirely new kind of conversation for MoH. In our work, we regularly see cycles of news media and public concern for people experiencing homelessness during bad weather, but it often drifts out of attention as soon as the weather changes.

However, the conversations have continued within Museum of Homelessness, and amongst our Homeless Taskforce Partners. We are worried that climate emergency is going to hit people living outside the hardest and fastest. We have carried out an investigation and analysis designed to help our homelessness systems be ready for the increasing frequency of climate events.

The best way of measuring that is to take a good look at SWEP. Within homelessness, extreme weather is handled by an instrument called Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.

Until this investigation, there had been no comprehensive data set on what councils and homelessness charities actually do in periods of extreme weather. We wanted to produce an accurate record of what councils and services are doing, to see where improvements could be made and to make recommendations for climate emergency preparedness in the UK.

Given the lacklustre efforts to combat climate change, it is likely that extreme weather events will make life increasingly dangerous for people who are experiencing street homelessness and precariously housed in the future.

This project seeks to address this. We offer a comprehensive picture of what 91 councils are doing during periods of extreme weather and combines that with observations, recommendations, and feedback from the ground. We understand that colleagues in the wider homelessness sector as well as policy makers are also concerned. We hope that the findings and recommendations in Severe Weather Emergency are helpful.

You can download the full report here