Climate Change and Homelessness: A Global Response Framework
This climate-homelessness response framework was developed as a guidance document that provides direction for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners based on the best available evidence and expert opinion. Specific approaches, in turn, can be informed by the general principles described here – designing for local engagement and implementation using social justice-based, culturally-situated practices. This guidance document highlights the issues and responses that attend to the broad themes of exposure and migration alongside illustrative case examples.
Year 1 Final Report: Climate Change and Homelessness: Generating a Response Framework
While climate change is having profound and increasing impacts on the health and wellbeing of all, the most marginalized individuals and communities feel its effects the most acutely. This is particularly the case for the many millions of inadequately housed and homeless persons globally. One of the many impacts of climate change and associated weather extremes is to compromise the housing and living circumstances of impoverished peoples. In turn, individuals lacking adequate shelter are the most exposed to weather extremes and the least supported in crisis response and risk mitigation efforts. The objective of this initiative is to synthesize the best available information and recommendations in order to: (1) enhance policy, systems and service level planning for homeless populations as it relates to weather extremes and climate change, and (2) increase research activity in this area, guided by syntheses of existing work and the articulation of knowledge gaps.
