Homeless shelters under pressure as temperatures plunge to sub-zero
Homeless shelters prepare for influx of rough sleepers
- UK councils, including North Somerset and Bristol City, have activated Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) to provide shelter for rough sleepers as temperatures are forecast to drop to as low as -3C.
- Homelessness figures show a significant increase, with 13,231 people sleeping rough in London (a 10 per cent rise from the previous year) and 382,618 people homeless across England, including 175,025 children.
- Charities like Crisis attribute the surge in homelessness to a critical lack of affordable social housing and an unaffordable private rental sector, a problem decades in the making.
- Emergency shelters are facing immense pressure, filling up quickly, and charities warn that increasing numbers of young people and pensioners are becoming homeless due to frozen housing benefits, insufficient pensions, and rising energy bills.
- The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber cold health alerts for England, while the Met Office forecasts continued sub-zero temperatures and wintry conditions, with charities emphasising the urgent need for immediate housing solutions.