Homelessness is already bad for health – but climate change is set to make things worse. That’s why the climate crisis is even more reason why homelessness must end
More frequent extreme weather events are likely to hit people living on the streets hard. Whether it be hypothermia in freezing temperatures or overheating, sunstroke or skin cancer in extreme heat
Homeless people are much more likely to have health conditions that make them vulnerable to the effects of heat – heatwaves are big killers in the UK, last year 2,500 excess deaths were linked to hot weather
Homeless people are less likely to have access to a GP, drinking water or shelter/air conditioning. Other countries open up public spaces or set up cooling centres. The UK has “some catching up to do” says @crisis_uk’s @matthew_downie
There are existing measures to help homeless people in the cold – such as the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol – while homeless people are included in Public Health England’s heatwave plan
It’s not just people on the street who will be affected by climate change. We’ll need to rethink housing too to avoid overheating. More than 70 per cent of housing in the UK is older than 30 years old and will need retrofitting
This means installing cooling, changing insulation and how homes are heated but could leave poorer households at risk of fuel poverty, says @TyndallCentre’s Claire Brown
Around 4.2 million people die every year due to ambient air pollution, according to World Health Organisation. Homeless people are at a higher risk of respiratory diseases. “It’s a very reasonable assumption” that more emissions could hit homeless people
With world leaders discussing climate change solutions at #COP26, a “shift in mindset” is needed to ensure homeless people are not left behind said @matthew_downie
📰 In the wake of tragic stabbings in Southport, the UK has seen an alarming rise in racist violence. Communities are coming together to combat this hate.
Want to help? Here are 5 ways you can make a difference. 👇
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🏠 1. Host a Refugee:
Once an asylum seeker is granted refugee status, they are given limited time to find somewhere to live. ⌛️
Organisations like @RefugeesAtHome and @_hopeathome_ connect refugees with hosts, preventing homelessness. Find out more. 👇 bigissue.com/uncategorised/…
✊ 2. Attend Anti-Racism Marches:
Stand Up to Racism (@AntiRacismDay) is running protests on 10 August to say refugees are welcome here. Find out when and where these will be via .
⚠️ If you think you may not be safe at these events, do not attend. standuptoracism.org.uk
From Suella Braverman's sacking to David Cameron's comeback - here's our recap.
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➡️🚪Suella Braverman was gone by 9am, sacked by Rishi Sunak as home secretary after inflammatory comments over pro-Palestine protesters.
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It's just the latest in a series of scandals to engulf the former home secretary - from lying in a legal textbook to describing homelessness as a “lifestyle choice."
Today is #WorldHomelessDay2022. It’s the perfect time to think about how to solve a problem that shouldn’t exist. We already know how to end homelessness. And it can be done. Here’s how:
Housing First is a model that has already had a big impact on street homelessness in Finland 🇫🇮 It’s a simple solution: give people who are homeless a home and the support they need to keep it
Housing First is growing across the UK. But not quickly enough for some. @Crisis_uk chief executive Matt Downie said take up in England has been “far too slow” earlier this year
Anti-homeless architecture can take many forms and be tough to spot but it is a hidden fixture of cities and towns across the world 🌍 bigissue.com/news/housing/a…
Also known as defensive architecture, hostile design or exclusionary design, it is used to tackle social problems “in ways that appear to be benign but has potentially more aggressive impacts,” says expert @qurbanist
The most common type is the humble bench.
They can be designed with uneven surfaces and bars across them that look like arm rests but could really be there to stop people lying down. This has become almost the standard design
Two-time Portrait of Britain winner @MarcDavenant has spent six years travelling around Britain with his camera to capture the reality of homelessness from the people who live with it every day bigissue.com/news/housing/t…
@MarcDavenant On his travels, the photographer met Big Issue vendors like Will Herbert, long-time rough sleepers and people living in filthy, unsafe housing
@MarcDavenant Marc took portraits of people like John, who had spent 25 years on the street.
John told him: "I’ve been attacked in hostels too many times, and threatened with knives. It’s safer on the street in Newcastle"