Sadiq Khan admits he is 'really worried' about the impact of hot weather on homeless Londoners

We need to ‘rethink’ emergency support for rough sleepers as temperatures soar, London mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

The mayor’s comments come after England recorded its hottest ever June night, and days after charities called on councils to temporarily house rough sleepers suffering in the heat.

Touring a north London fire station, Khan told the Big Issue he is “really worried” about the impact of hot weather on the “most vulnerable Londoners”.

“Historically, we’ve always thought about helping rough sleepers when it’s cold, for obvious reasons, around Christmas time,” he said. “But actually, because heat waves are becoming a norm, the new reality, we’ve got to repivot our minds to also think about summer as well.”

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The mayor pointed rough sleepers and outreach workers to a new ‘cool space map’ listing libraries and public spaces with air conditioning and water.

But he stopped short of calling on councils to activate their Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP).

SWEP is an emergency protocol councils can activate when severe weather poses a threat to life, bringing people sleeping rough off the streets and into temporary accommodation.

The policy was triggered for extreme heat a record number of times in the first half of 2025, an investigation found last year. Local authorities stepped in at least 149 times by mid-July this year compared to 93 times across the entirety of summer in 2024.

Individual councils in London can activate SWEP unilaterally. The London borough of Waltham Forest did so earlier this week. But the Greater London Authority can also coordinate a pan-London activation, under which boroughs activate their local SWEP provision simultaneously. This happened in January when temperatures fell below freezing, and during the 2022 heatwave.

Pan-London SWEP has not been activated during the current hot spell, Khan said.

“There’s not agreement yet for SWEP to be turned on, but there are really good examples of councils, charities, experts working with rough sleepers during this extreme weather,” he said.

On Monday (22 June), Crisis called on councils to trigger SWEP.

“While many of us can stay at home or go to air-conditioned offices, when you’re sleeping rough you may be on hot concrete or in the direct sun with little access to water or shelter,” said Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis.

“People who are homeless may not be able to access showers or have suitable clothing for temperatures above 30 degrees.”

The challenge is growing as climate change drives up average temperatures. London could face between two and three times as many heatwaves within 20 years as it experiences today.

Asked whether SWEP could be triggered during future periods of extreme heat, Khan answered in the affirmative.

“I’m confident these conversations with excellent councils, with excellent charities, with excellent experts will bear fruit.”

Khan was in Islington to launch the capital’s new Heat Ready London plan.

The plan warns that one million London homes may be at high risk of overheating, alongside more than 1,300 schools, 60 hospitals and 351 care homes located in high heat-risk areas.

The strategy is intended to address those risks, Khan said, pointing to some of the questions raised across its 37 areas of focus.

“When it comes to renewing your fleet, is that fleet air conditioned and zero emission vehicles? When it comes to refurbishing a building, are you using a heat pump that keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer? Are you thinking about air conditioning? Are you thinking about planting trees that provide shade? What about water fountains?”

Khan also committed to improving homes and schools vulnerable to overheating.

Overheating disproportionately affects families in temporary accommodation, where multiple people may be living in cramped quarters or unsuitable converted office blocks. Big Issue spoke to some of these people during the 2022 heatwave.

Many such families also lack access to green space. Overheating is therefore an inequality issue, said Professor Emma Howard Boyd CBE, chair of the National Heat Risk Commission.

“Extreme heat already hits hardest in the most deprived communities, and during periods of intense heat this inequality becomes even more dangerous. These benefits must be delivered quickly and fairly, with shade, green space and practical support targeted to where they are needed most.”

Khan said residents in temporary accommodation would be supported. More than 180,000 Londoners live in TA.

“Well, there’s short-term things which have got to be done, which is to make sure people have fans, people have coolers,” he said.

“In the medium to long term, we’ve got to refurbish these temporary accommodation places, but also, more importantly, get these people in TA into permanent accommodation.

“That’s why we’re building record numbers of affordable homes, but making sure when it comes to the design of these homes, big windows, shady trees outside these buildings, heat pumps… so when it comes to the conception design phase, thinking about the fact that heat waves are the new norm is really important.”

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