Global Climate Implications for Homelessness: A Scoping Review

Sean A Kidd,Susan Greco,Kwame Mckenzie

doi:10.1007/s11524-020-00483-1

Abstract

Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected. Homeless people are by definition the most exposed to weather conditions and the social and economic problems caused by extreme weather and climate change and variability. This systematic review was designed to synthesize the academic literature that addresses the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness. The question examined in this systematic scoping review is the following: What is the current state of knowledge in the scientific literature on the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness? A systematic scoping review method was used to identify and synthesize the peer-reviewed literature relevant to this question. The databases searched were PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Of the 26 papers identified in this review, 20 employed original data analyses with conclusions largely inferred from cross-sectional associations. Themes included the potential influence of climate change on homelessness prevalence, climate impacts that exacerbate specific vulnerabilities of homeless populations (e.g., chronic illness, exposure, stigmatization), and health and social outcomes. Service use and design implications were also addressed. Given the scale of the impacts of climate change on homelessness, the literature on this topic poses promising directions but is under-developed in its current state to adequately inform risk mitigation and response planning. A systems framework is proposed here to inform future research and service design.

Highlights

Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected
Homeless people are by definition the most exposed to weather conditions and the social and economic problems caused by extreme weather and climate change
There would seem to be enough information at hand, even if purely hypothetical at this stage, to posit a model that might capture the most substantive variables and their respective influences (Fig. 3). In this model the primary and secondary impacts of climate change are moderated by variables that are specific to vulnerably housed and homeless populations from individual to system levels

Summary

Introduction

Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected. This systematic review was designed to synthesize the academic literature that addresses the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness. The question examined in this systematic scoping review is the following: What is the current state of knowledge in the scientific literature on the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness? Climate refers to weather parameters such as temperature, rainfall, and wind speed that occur in a given place over a given period of time [46] Such a general definition belies the complexity of the phenomenon and the dangers that it poses [12]. Large volumes of evidence describe and predict the potential adverse effects of climate change [7] In this literature, human health and social impacts figure prominently.

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Results

Conclusion