At Union Gospel Mission, we are seeing firsthand the impact that extreme weather conditions are having on community members in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). In 2021, Vancouver was hit by a heat dome that killed 619 people. As summers get hotter and winters grow colder, community members without the protection of adequate housing continue to suffer.
UGM’s new report, Unhoused Under Pressure, makes it clear that climate crisis and homelessness are not two separate issues for people in the DTES: they are intersectional crises that must be confronted together. Unhoused Under Pressure was created in collaboration with the University of British Columbia’s Sustainability Hub, and draws on the personal accounts of those who have experienced homelessness in Vancouver’s DTES, as well as municipal policies and community-led initiatives. The report brings to light the urgency needed to mitigate the effects of climate change for people in the DTES.
The realities of being unhoused in a climate crisis
Our research shows that the DTES “faces among the highest levels of overlapping hazards and risks of all of Vancouver’s neighbourhoods.” Extreme heat, air pollution, flooding and seismic risks are all concentrated in the DTES.
Extreme weather like heat or cold causes health complications like heat stroke, pneumonia, even death — especially for those experiencing homelessness. Living on the streets and being outside for most hours of the day means people experiencing homelessness are the most exposed to polluted air circulating in the city. The DTES also is an urban heat island — which intensifies the impact of heat waves — because of the high density, lack of greenery, and closeness to main roads.
People living in the DTES are often dealing with other compounding health issues like addiction, mental health challenges, chronic stress, physical disabilities, and malnourishment. This means that they’re exponentially more at risk of poor health outcomes due to climate change than more resourced communities in Vancouver. The report also notes that both extreme heat and extreme cold are linked to more toxic drug deaths.
“It’s estimated that almost 5,000 people in Metro Vancouver are experiencing homelessness on any given night,” says UGM President Dean Kurpjuweit, “And we know climate change is worsening their quality of life, and threatening their health. We think it’s absolutely critical that steps are taken immediately to ensure the safety and livelihood of every person who’s experiencing homelessness as climate change gets worse.”
A focus on proactive policy — before time runs out
Unhoused Under Pressure highlights seven focus areas, connected to already-existing municipal policies, that could lessen the impact of the climate crisis within the DTES community. As surfaced in the report, the city of Vancouver has the tools and strategies to make life-saving changes in the following areas:
- Decreasing exposure
- Providing access to water
- Prioritizing accessible and welcoming emergency spaces
- Prioritizing portable solutions
- Empowering DTES networks
- Streamlining access to funding
- Increasing urban greening
“This report is a call for urgent, equitable action, and targeted interventions to reduce exposure, provide vital access to water, and create more accessible and welcoming emergency spaces,” says Linda Nowlan, Senior Director of UBC’s Sustainability Hub. “Integrating the report’s findings into Vancouver's climate action strategies is essential.”
More key pieces of the city of Vancouver finding intersectional solutions include investing in community initiatives and including DTES community members. Service providers and those with lived experience of homelessness are able to give practical, effective feedback, but face barriers when it comes to having their voices heard around systemic issues. Only by the municipal government working hand-in-hand with the DTES community can the city of Vancouver be best equipped to implement timely solutions.
Taking effective action
Every year, the number of people UGM serves who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction grows. We know that in order to break cycles of inequity, it takes addressing multiple barriers. It also takes a city: from governments strengthening their policy commitments, to including community-informed measures in the climate crisis.
Action is needed now, so our unhoused neighbours in the DTES don’t have to suffer the debilitating — and deadly — consequences of rapid climate change.
For more, read the report here: Unhoused Under Pressure by UGM and UBC’s Sustainability Hub
UGM will be hosting workshops this summer to increase awareness and education about the intersection of homelessness and the climate crisis. Find out how you can attend here.
