Climate Change and Housing Inequality: The Vulnerable Bear the Greatest Burden

Climate change affects everyone, but its impacts are far from equal. Across the UK and globally, those living in poor quality housing face the harshest consequences of our changing climate, creating a cruel irony where the people who contributed least to global warming suffer most from its effects.

The Heat Island Effect: When Housing Location Becomes Life-Threatening People on low incomes are more likely to live in housing not suited to heat and are twice as likely to live in places that are significantly hotter than neighbouring areas due to the 'urban heat island' effect. This phenomenon means that while affluent neighbourhoods enjoy tree-lined streets and green spaces that naturally cool the air, poorer communities endure concrete jungles that trap and intensify heat. The statistics are stark: around a quarter of the poorest families live in homes that regularly overheat, compared to just one in twenty of the richest households. This isn't simply about comfort—it's about survival. During heatwaves, these poorly ventilated, inadequately insulated homes become furnaces, putting residents at risk of heat stroke, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses.

The Decade Ahead: Intensifying Extremes The pace of change and clustering of record-breaking extreme weather are far from natural, with a series of prolonged heatwaves hitting various parts of the UK in summer 2025, including traditionally cooler regions like Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. These heatwaves aren't just more frequent—they're more intense, longer-lasting. Climate projections for the next decade paint a troubling picture. The UK can expect more frequent and severe extreme weather events, from devastating floods to unprecedented heatwaves. London is already affected by events such as floods, heatwaves and droughts, and as our climate changes we expect to see an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

Social Housing: Built for Yesterday's Climate Most social housing was not built with climate change in mind, which means that it will have to be adapted to suit our changing climate. These buildings often lack proper insulation, adequate ventilation, or flood defences, leaving residents exposed to temperature extremes and water damage. The vulnerability extends beyond individual buildings to entire communities. Where communities cannot afford to adopt measures or obtain adequate insurance, it is not possible for them to adequately prepare without outside help. If that help is not effectively provided then it is these communities which are highly likely to see some of the most extreme impacts from future flood and heatwave events.

The Poverty Trap Deepens Research from Anglia Ruskin University reveals that poorer households in the UK are more vulnerable to climate change because temperature shocks are associated with deepening wealth inequality. This creates a vicious cycle: climate impacts make poor households poorer, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to future climate impacts. The global picture is equally alarming. Climate change will drive 68 million-135 million people to poverty by 2030, reversing the decades of economic growth that helped lift millions from extreme poverty and reduced inequalities.

Health Impacts: A Matter of Life and Death The health consequences of poor housing during extreme weather are severe and disproportionate. Age, pre-existing medical conditions and social deprivation are key factors that make people vulnerable, while asthma is more common among some ethnic minority communities and low-income households, and low-income individuals who live in buildings that are older or in poor condition can be exposed to damp indoor environments.

The Path Forward Climate impacts and extreme weather events can affect anyone, but some people will be more affected than others, depending not just on their exposure to the event, but on their social vulnerability – that is, how well they are able to cope with and respond to events like floods and heatwaves. The solution requires urgent action to improve housing quality for the most vulnerable, retrofit social housing for climate resilience, and ensure that adaptation measures reach those who need them most. Without intervention, the next decade will see climate change become an increasingly powerful driver of inequality, with housing quality determining who survives and who suffers.

Housing Improvements and Retrofitting

• Retrofit existing homes to make them resistant and resilient to disasters - retrofitting existing homes is more affordable, better for the environment, and better for homeowners

• Improve insulation and energy efficiency - support social housing providers to insulate social homes, improve energy efficiency and upgrade heating systems

• Install overheating prevention measures - external cladding with light colouring to reflect heat, extraction fans, blinds in the windows on S and W aspects

• Enhance flood resilience - reline existing drainage systems and improved drainage and flood resilience

• Implement water conservation measures - replacement low volume toilets and baths, replacement low flo taps, new low flow showers, water meters

Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions

• Develop green infrastructure - projects that have reduced surface water run-off and local flooding, improved water quality, helped mitigate the urban heat island effect and created wildlife habitats and improved biodiversity

• Create accessible outdoor spaces - ensuring tenants with limited mobility could access the outdoors without fear of slipping in puddles. Open spaces that had previously been fenced off were brought back into use

• Build climate adaptation into all new infrastructure - 75% of the infrastructure needed by 2050 has not been built yet: an unmissable opportunity to address climate adaptation and mitigation

Policy and Financial Support

• Provide targeted financial assistance - support for vulnerable communities who cannot afford adaptation measures on their own

• Implement government adaptation programmes - under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK is legally required to adapt to climate change. The government is required to produce a climate change risk assessment to identify risks and a five-yearly national adaptation programme

• Ensure affordable access to climate-resilient housing - address barriers that prevent vulnerable populations from accessing safe, adapted housing

• Support social housing providers - provide funding and technical support to retrofit and adapt social housing stock

Health and Community Support

• Address fuel poverty - the effects of fuel poverty can be dangerous, or even deadly — campaign group National Energy Action has linked cold homes to thousands of deaths a year

• Provide healthcare support for climate-related health impacts, particularly for elderly and vulnerable populations

• Ensure equitable access to cooling centres, flood shelters, and other emergency climate services

Long-term Systemic Changes

• Address housing inequality - tackle the root causes that leave vulnerable populations in poor quality housing

• Integrate climate adaptation with social policy - ensure climate adaptation measures address existing inequalities rather than reinforcing them

• Build climate resilience into urban planning - create cities and communities that protect vulnerable populations from climate impacts

• Develop early warning systems - provide vulnerable communities with advance notice of extreme weather events.

These measures require coordinated action across government, housing providers, communities, and international organizations to ensure that those most vulnerable to climate change receive the protection and support they need.

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