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How charities help the homeless in heatwaves
Hot weather can quickly become dangerous for people who are homeless, bringing higher risks of dehydration, sunburn and heatstroke, charities have warned. "Rough sleeping has always been a public health emergency, but in this intense heat, lives are at imminent risk," Matt Downie, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis said in June, during this summer's first blast of soaring temperatures. Councils can implement severe weather emergency protocols (SWEP) to help people sleeping on the streets. However, an investigation by the Museum of Homelessness into 91 councils between 2022 and 2024 found that just 6% of SWEPs were implemented in hot weather. Across the West Midlands, homeless charities are keen to raise awareness of the risks, with various strategies in place to help. But what do those look like? Jon Perry, the CEO of the Maggs Day Centre in Worcester, said: "The challenges are that hot weather is just as problematic for people without a home as cold weather. "There's a very serious risk for people, which is why we're going out, providing fluids, and also having the day centres open longer for shelter, and I think those sorts of things are very important." Particular issues that Perry outlined were...