Climate Change, Weather, Housing Precarity, and Homelessness: A Systematic Review of Reviews.

Mariya Bezgrebelna,Kwame Mckenzie,Stephen Gaetz,Julia Christensen,Vicky Stergiopoulos,Samantha Wells,Michael Kral,Arun Ravindran,Sean A Kidd

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115812

Abstract

This systematic review of reviews was conducted to examine housing precarity and homelessness in relation to climate change and weather extremes internationally. In a thematic analysis of 15 reviews (5 systematic and 10 non-systematic), the following themes emerged: risk factors for homelessness/housing precarity, temperature extremes, health concerns, structural factors, natural disasters, and housing. First, an increased risk of homelessness has been found for people who are vulnerably housed and populations in lower socio-economic positions due to energy insecurity and climate change-induced natural hazards. Second, homeless/vulnerably-housed populations are disproportionately exposed to climatic events (temperature extremes and natural disasters). Third, the physical and mental health of homeless/vulnerably-housed populations is projected to be impacted by weather extremes and climate change. Fourth, while green infrastructure may have positive effects for homeless/vulnerably-housed populations, housing remains a major concern in urban environments. Finally, structural changes must be implemented. Recommendations for addressing the impact of climate change on homelessness and housing precarity were generated, including interventions focusing on homelessness/housing precarity and reducing the effects of weather extremes, improved housing and urban planning, and further research on homelessness/housing precarity and climate change. To further enhance the impact of these initiatives, we suggest employing the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA).

Highlights

This article is an open access articleClimate refers to the probability of specific weather characteristics occurring at a given location over a given period [1]
There are two additional risk domains in this area that might be less obvious but that emerged in the literature: the influence of weather extremes and climate change on the incidences of infectious and vector-borne diseases amongst homeless populations, who are both more exposed to infection and more vulnerable due to pre-existing conditions [22]; and mental health issues, which are expected to worsen, mainly due to the stress associated with extreme climatic events [21]
In this review of reviews, we found that climate change-related events seem to contribute to the prevalence of homelessness through migration, poverty, and other intersecting stressors

Summary

Introduction

This article is an open access article. Climate refers to the probability of specific weather characteristics (e.g., temperature, wind, rain) occurring at a given location over a given period [1]. In turn, is defined as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to climate variability observed over comparable time periods” [2] Global climate change has distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons.

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