June Newsletter: Summer, the Unseen Crisis of Homelessness

When the public pictures homelessness and environmental hardship, winter often dominates the conversation -- images of icy sidewalks, bundled up individuals, and emergency warming centers come to mind. But during the summer months, an equally dangerous and often invisible crisis emerges. While the sun shines brightly, thousands of individuals face a deadly combination of extreme heat, displacement, and a seasonal absence of resources.

Despite the myth that warmer temperatures provide relief, summer is rapidly becoming one of the toughest and deadliest seasons of the year to be homeless.

A Lack of Seasonal Infrastructure

(Ornelas, 2025)

In contrast to winter, when all cities allocate funds to heat shelters and overflow beds, there is typically a pullback of public resources in the summer months. The assumption that warm weather poses less of a threat leads many municipalities to reduce shelter capacity or shut down emergency services.

This leaves thousands of people without access to overnight shelter, cooling centers, or even basic air-conditioned spaces. While libraries, transit stations, and public buildings may offer short term relief, they are often open only during limited hours, are overcrowded, or come with identification requirements that unhoused individuals may not meet.

Without institutional support, people experiencing homelessness must endure long hours in direct sun and sweltering heat with few options for relief.

The Health Toll of Extreme Heat

(University of Utah Health, 2021)

​While cold can kill quickly, heat often kills slowly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists extreme heat as one of the deadliest weather-related hazards in the country, claiming more lives annually than hurricanes, floods, or blizzards.

For individuals without shelter, this translates into constant exposure to dangerous conditions. Prolonged time in the sun increases the likelihood of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and acute cardiovascular stress. Those with preexisting medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and mental health disorders, are particularly vulnerable. Medications that require refrigeration or proper hydration become impossible to manage under these circumstances.

A 2023 study in JAMA Network Open reported that people experiencing homelessness were three times more likely than housed individuals to require emergency care for heat related illness. Heat can also cause cognitive impairment, exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, and reduce the ability to seek help or make sound decisions.

Without clean water, access to hygiene supplies, or shelter from the sun, even minor issues can escalate into life threatening emergencies.

Conclusion

As temperatures rise and climate patterns shift, the summer months are emerging as a silent but deadly threat to the homeless population, one that is too often overlooked. The lack of seasonal infrastructure, in addition to the severe health risks of extreme heat, reveals a systemic gap in how we address homelessness. If winter demands coats and heating shelters, then summer demands equal priority: cooling centers, water access, medical outreach, and long-term housing solutions.

Recognizing summer homelessness as a crisis is the first step, and responding with empathy, funding, and sustained action must follow. Ignoring the dangers of heat doesn’t make them disappear - it just ensures that those most vulnerable continue to suffer in silence.

Project Hope Haven’s June Recap

In June, Project Hope Haven (PHH) undertook a meaningful initiative aimed at supporting individuals experiencing homelessness through a community-centered fundraising event. The organization hosted its second pickleball tournament, bringing together residents in a spirit of friendly competition and collective purpose. More than 25 teams—over 50 individuals—participated in the event, demonstrating their commitment to both recreational engagement and social impact.

As a result of the tournament, PHH successfully raised over $300. These funds will be directed toward programs and services that provide essential resources, shelter, and support for those affected by homelessness. While the financial contribution is significant, another meaningful impact was seen in the strengthened community ties and enhanced visibility of PHH’s mission. By combining physical activity with purposeful giving, the organization continues to lay the groundwork for sustained outreach and future service efforts.

In addition to the tournament, PHH expanded its outreach this month by partnering with Masala Pizza and Bitezz to serve fresh, warm meals at the Loudoun Homeless Shelter. This collaborative act of service helped meet one of the most immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness: access to nourishing food. Through this initiative, volunteers provided not just meals, but moments of dignity and compassion to individuals facing housing insecurity. Partnerships like this reflect PHH’s belief that meaningful change is most effective when driven by both grassroots energy and collaborative community effort.

Together, these initiatives reflect PHH’s ongoing commitment to serving vulnerable populations through both direct service and sustained community engagement.

Project Hope Haven’s Mission

Project Hope Haven remains committed to combating homelessness and providing hope to vulnerable communities. By taking a hands-on approach, the organization continues to make a direct impact, one project at a time. Moving forward, Project Hope Haven plans to expand its outreach efforts, organize additional donation drives, and collaborate with local organizations to create sustainable solutions, all while keeping cultural significance in mind. Through collective action and compassion, Project Hope Haven strives to make a lasting difference in the fight against homelessness.

Bibliography:

CDC. “Climate and Health.” Climate and Health, 2 July 2024, www.cdc.gov/climate-health/?CDC_AAref_Val=www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/heat.htm.

Communication, Marketing and. “Heat Stroke: More Serious than You Think.” University of Utah Health | University of Utah Health, 14 June 2021, healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2021/06/heat-stroke-more-serious-you-think.

Fetters, Kirk B, and Joshua A Barocas. “Advocating for Maintaining Housing First Policies.” JAMA, 2025, jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2836034#google_vignette, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.9401. Accessed 3 July 2025.

National Low Income Housing Coalition. “The GAP.” National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2024, nlihc.org/gap.

Ornelas, Chris. “Offering a Hand in the Heat: Essential Support for Austin’s Unhoused Community This Summer.” Art from the Streets, 23 June 2025, artfromthestreets.org/blogs/news/what-to-give-a-homeless-person-in-summer-austin. Accessed 3 July 2025.