As the UK sweltered through its third heatwave of the year, The Guardian joined outreach workers in London to check on the city’s most vulnerable residents - people sleeping rough in a metropolis that, according to one charity lead, “isn’t built for heat.” Josie Ashdown of Thames Reach noted that concrete makes London hotter than most of the country, with hardly any tree cover. Scientists estimate that the May and June heatwaves alone killed 2,700 people in England and Wales.
Tom, a man in his 60s who has been homeless for years, summed up the experience: “You’ve just got to bear it. It’s like being in a hot country. It drains you.” He keeps to his routines but needs cardboard to sit on or a place indoors that will let him rest. Many tents under a London underpass were empty - their occupants had likely gone in search of water, work, or cooler spots. For record numbers of rough sleepers, escaping the heat is rarely straightforward.
Dr. Jennie Leggat, formerly of Cambridge’s Centre for Science and Policy, said rough sleepers are far more vulnerable to extreme heat than the general population. Barriers to escaping the heat, she pointed out, are often overlooked: “If you’re relying on begging to earn money, you don’t have much choice to leave. You have to sit outside, often in the sun and usually in hot urban environments.” Many long-term rough sleepers have chronic health conditions - mobility issues, heart problems - that heighten their vulnerability, and essential medications like insulin are hard to store safely in hot weather.
Tom has multiple health problems and struggles to get around. The heat has forced him to switch from leg wraps to stockings due to swelling. “The bus is like a sauna even compared to outside,” he said. Outreach teams are working around the clock, handing out water and doing welfare checks, according to Elle Slater of the homelessness charity St Mungo’s. But some people refuse to shed winter clothing because they can’t store it safely. Anneke Ziemen of Thames Reach recalled one man who said, “When winter comes, I need my clothes. I can’t have anyone steal them.” Ziemen noted: “It makes sense, but it’s also going to be 34 degrees and you are literally cooking yourself.”
Last summer, Thames Reach had to arrange a Mental Health Act assessment for a man lying in direct sunlight under heavy layers - something that’s happening “a lot more than it used to,” said Ashdown. Many people encountered by outreach workers are frustrated by the lack of shelter during extreme heat. “You’re supposed to get people off the streets in weather like this,” one person said. “I can’t bear it.”
In June, Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the Heat Ready London plan, which includes expanding access to publicly available cooling spaces and free drinking water. But while there’s a severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) for cold conditions, the response to heat is less consistent. There is no single London-wide temperature trigger or mandatory level of support, leaving boroughs to interpret guidance unevenly. One charity described heat SWEP as “a bit of a postcode lottery.”
Even where help exists, those most vulnerable may struggle to access it. Tom said he hasn’t heard about the “cool places” and avoids such spots due to potential conflicts with other people. Leggat noted that stigma sometimes prevents access: “People who sleep rough may not be welcome in public spaces that could offer respite from the heat, whether that be due to having a pet in tow, having large bags that can’t be stored, or simply looking unkempt.”
Francesca Albanese of the homelessness charity Crisis, which estimates 15,000 people rough sleep in London over a year, called for mandatory SWEP provision across the capital and the rest of the country. She also advocated for more affordable homes, better access to private renting, and greater investment in Housing First - an internationally evidenced solution that provides homes with support. Crisis CEO Matt Downie welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s promise to end rough sleeping in England “at the earliest opportunity,” calling it a shift towards Housing First.
For now, the advice to the public during heatwaves is to remain vigilant and use StreetLink to refer someone to a local charity if they see someone who may need help. “The problem is a systemic one,” said Ziemen. “We see a spike in referrals every severe weather period, whether it’s 0 degrees or 35. But rough sleeping is not just a problem during severe weather. It’s year-round.” Tom, for his part, has experienced moments of kindness amid the heat: “People have been kinder in the hot weather, helping me get my luggage on and off the bus.”