How to help a homeless person on the street in cold weather
Being out in cold weather can be dangerous, especially if you have nowhere else to go. Here’s how to help people who are homeless in winter
by: Liam Geraghty, Isabella McRae
19 Nov 2024
It's not just rough sleepers who may find themselves out in the cold. Nicholas was a postgraduate student and management accountant for sizable companies in the North West. After trying and failing to receive benefits for his disability, he began sofa surfing with friends in 2009. Image: Centre for Homelessness Impact
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Cold weather is enough of a health hazard in these times of expensive energy bills. But if you’re experiencing homelessness, it can be deadly.
We had a relatively mild start to winter in 2024, but temperatures are set to drop.
The first snow of the winter fell on 18 November for many parts of the UK with the Met Office issuing a yellow warnings for snow and ice affecting parts of Scotland, the whole of Northern Ireland, parts of northern England, north Wales and the north Midlands. Up to 10cm of snow is expected to fall in some areas.
Many local authorities chose to invoke the severe weather emergency protocal (Swep) as temperatures plummeted. The protocol sees people who are rough sleeping brought indoors to shelter from extreme weather.
With climate change meaning extreme weather events like 2018’s Beast from the East blizzards are likely to happen more frequently, it’s important to know what to do to help people out on the street if you’re out and about. Your intervention could save a life.
As temperatures drop across the UK, the challenges for people sleeping rough become harsher and more dangerous. Facing cold, wet, and often freezing conditions can lead to serious health risks like hypothermia, frostbite and respiratory problems.
In most cities, local councils and charities operate winter night shelters which offer beds, meals and a safe space to sleep during the coldest months. These shelters are usually open from late autumn through to early spring and can be a critical resource, especially when freezing temperatures hit. But space and resources are limited, meaning to spots are guaranteed and many people are left to find other options.
Homeless people navigating winter weather often find temporary warmth in places like 24-hour cafes, libraries and shopping centres. Some might ride public transport through the night to escape the chill. Community initiatives like mobile soup kitchens and street outreach teams try to provide some relief to as many rough sleepers as possible with warm clothing, blankets and hot food, helping people survive on the streets even when shelter isn’t available.
Many find creative ways to keep warm – layering clothes and sleeping bags or huddling together in sheltered corners. But these efforts aren’t a substitute for a safe, warm place to stay, and the reality is that exposure to cold weather often leads to illness. Rough sleepers are more likely to go without regular meals, meaning the body’s ability to fend off the cold weakens further, creating a vicious cycle.
Organisations like Crisis, Shelter, and other homelessness charities work year-round to connect people with services, temporary accommodation and, ideally, long-term housing. Community support, from donations to volunteer work, makes a real difference and plenty of homeless people rely on these resources to navigate the toughest months of the year.
A warm greeting can make a big difference but so can asking what the person might need. The offer of a hot drink or food can go a long way as can the offer of a woolly hat, gloves or a warm coat.
Maybe the person you meet will decline the offer of any help. That’s okay. The important thing is to speak up and ask the question in the first place.
Check if severe weather emergency protocol (Swep) is in place
When temperatures fall below 0°C, councils open up emergency accommodation to give people who are sleeping rough a warm place to take shelter. This is known as the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, abbreviated to Swep.
As well as opening up additional indoor spaces, the protocol sees frontline outreach teams step up shifts to ensure no one is left out on the street.
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Hannah Faulkner, head of rough sleeping services at homelessness charity St Mungo’s, said: “These low temperatures can kill people who are street homeless and it is absolutely right this is treated as an emergency.
“During periods of cold and extreme weather it is essential that members of the public, people experiencing homelessness and other support services are all aware that additional accommodation and support is available.”
If you see someone out on the street in the cold, check with your local authority to see if Swep is in operation.
Point people in the direction of a warm space
You may also be able to put people in the direction of a warm space to stave off the cold. Warm spaces have been set up across the country to give people a safe and warm space to get refuge away from the cold.
A coalition of charities launched the campaign Warm Welcome to help churches, community groups, businesses and councils set up the warm banks. There are more than 4,000 warm spaces open and they offer a lifeline to people who do not have a heated home.
You can find a map of all the warm spaces on Warm Welcome’s website here. You can search by location to find your local warm banks, and many of these offer other services like food and entertainment.
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Another way to find a warm bank near you is to look on your local council’s website or contact it directly. Even if it is not running a warm bank itself, it should be able to direct you to a charity or other community organisation which is offering support this winter.
StreetLink is a website that lets members of the public in England and Wales alert local outreach teams to the location of people sleeping rough.
The service, which has been running for a decade and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helps to connect people experiencing homelessness with support services that can help them.
StreetLink has been widely adopted and Mayor of London Khan encouraged Londoners to use the service’s website if they are concerned about someone during the latest cold snap.
It is worthwhile having the app downloaded on your smartphone if you have one and if you spot someone and you are concerned for their welfare, it’s worth filing a report on the app.
Of course, if the person you meet on the street is showing signs of being unwell then calling the emergency services should be the first course of action.
If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough who is under 18 years of age, StreetLink also advises that you contact the police rather than alerting the service.
What to do if you’re facing homelessness this winter
If you find yourself homeless during the winter months, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and access support.
Depending on your situation, you might start by contacting your local council. They have to give you housing advice and, in certain circumstances – if you have children and they’re homeless too, for example – they have a duty to help you into safe accommodation.
And under Swep local authorities must provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers during periods of extreme cold. This means that even if you’ve previously been turned away or aren’t eligible for certain types of help, you should still be able to find a temporary place to stay during harsh weather conditions. Contact Streetlink if you’re in England or Wales and you can’t get help from the council.
If you need somewhere warm to go urgently, you should make finding somewhere safe a priority. Shelter has detailed guidance on finding hostels and shelters or women’s refuges.
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You can also reach out to charities that specialise in helping homeless people, such as Shelter, Crisis, St Mungo’s or initiatives local to you. These organisations offer a range of services including emergency accommodation, food aid, advice on benefits and longer-term housing support.
When shelters are at capacity, there are other ways to stay warm. Day centres across many towns and cities provide safe places to stay during daylight hours with access to food, showers and heating. They can sometimes help you with benefits advice and referrals to other support too.
Libraries, community centres and even some transport hubs like bus or train stations may offer temporary respite from the cold, especially during extreme weather.
Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.
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