The impact of climate change on homelessness

Climate change is making life tougher for everyone. But it hits people facing homelessness and poverty the hardest.

Small changes in temperature, weather patterns, and sea levels have enormous consequences. They threaten food supplies, damage health, put homes and infrastructure at risk, and push up the cost of living.

For people who are homeless or struggling with poverty, there’s no escape. They’re on the frontline of the climate crisis and face its full impact every day.

How does climate change affect homeless people?

Rough sleeping is traumatic and takes a serious toll on people’s mental and physical health. For some, it’s deadly. In 2023 alone, 1,474 people died while homeless in the UK – many of them were sleeping on the streets.

Climate change is making life on the streets even deadlier. Cold snaps and heatwaves are hitting harder and more often. Storms, flooding, and sudden snowfalls are becoming the norm. For people sleeping rough, there’s nowhere to hide from this extreme weather.

Baltic winter temperatures are brutal for people on the streets. Frostbite, hypothermia, and the constant fear of not surviving the night are real risks. Some people drink to numb the pain and get some sleep through the cold. Others stay awake all night because it’s too dangerous to rest, catching what little sleep they can during the day. (Here are our top 10 ways to help rough sleepers in the winter).

Hospital admissions spike for people experiencing homelessness in the summer. With little access to shade or water, and nowhere to escape the heat, they’re at greater risk. Many of the Londoners we support also live with health conditions that make it harder to regulate body temperature, leaving them even more vulnerable. (Here are our top tips to help rough sleepers in the heat).

Air pollution is killing tens of thousands of people every year. In the UK, an estimated 29,000 to 43,000 deaths are linked to human-made pollution annually. For people sleeping rough, the risks are even higher – many rest near busy, polluted roads. Research also shows the poorest Londoners breathe the city’s dirtiest air.

How will climate change increase homelessness?

Climate change is pushing millions towards homelessness worldwide. As land becomes uninhabitable, people are forced to move. Others lose their homes to floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.

London isn’t immune. Surrounded by water, the UK faces rising sea levels that put the capital at risk. By 2050, modelling shows several boroughs and thousands of homes could be underwater – forcing people out and devastating lives.

The financial toll of climate change

Climate change will drive up bills and pile even more pressure on most households.

• Energy bills are climbing, making it even harder to cool homes in summer and heat them in winter – especially as extreme cold snaps and heatwaves become more common with climate change. In 2024, 6.5 million households were in fuel poverty. Climate change will make survival even tougher for them.
• Food prices are climbing fast. Extreme weather and natural disasters are causing more shortages and driving up costs. Every rise hits households hard – and for people already struggling, it can mean skipping meals and relying more heavily on food banks.
• Water bills have risen in London as companies cover the cost of updating old infrastructure and to stop sewage spills caused by more frequent flash floods.
• Flooding will increase as sea and river levels rise. Homes will be destroyed, demand for housing will grow, and rents and house prices will climb.

Rising living costs are hitting households hard and pushing families to the edge. Climate change will only pile on more pressure, making these challenges worse and forcing more people into homelessness.

What needs to be done to solve climate change?

Tackling climate change needs long-term action, but there’s more we can do right now to protect people sleeping rough.

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) kicks in when temperatures drop below 0°C, aiming to get people off the streets and into shelter. But SWEP doesn’t cover other extreme weather – and that’s a problem. The Museum of Homelessness found many councils still don’t trigger SWEP during heatwaves or heavy rain.

Cities get dangerously hot. Concrete and glass trap heat, creating ‘heat islands’ with little shade or greenery. We need more trees and green spaces to keep our cities cooler and more liveable for everyone.

What Single Homeless Project is doing to help

When SWEP is activated, our teams move fast. We get Londoners off the streets during cold snaps and into safety – with a warm bed, hot food, and somewhere to wash. We also help them check their benefits, get medical care, and take steps towards permanent housing.

Our support doesn’t stop there. We work with thousands of Londoners to stay on top of bills so they can afford to heat their homes in winter and keep cool in summer.

Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home – and we won’t stop until that’s a reality.