A Matter of Climate Justice: Heat and Air Pollution Combine to Worsen Effects of Homelessness

Abstract

As urban temperatures rise, air pollution concurrently worsens—especially ground-level ozone and particulates —because heat alters both atmospheric chemistry cycles and air circulation patterns. One population that is among the most vulnerable to the twin threats of heat exposure and air pollution is also chronically understudied and plagued by stigma: people experiencing homelessness.

A novel Commentary published in Environmental Health Perspectives by a team from Arizona State University synthesizes research on this subject, which becomes ever more urgent as the effects of climate change become more apparent. The team found only a few studies—all of them small—examining how urban heat and air pollution specifically affect people who are unhoused.
Doctoral student and first author Zachary Van Tol says that in the realm of climate research, the focus remains on housed populations at the neighborhood or community scales, often neglecting the individual level. “Researchers and policy makers need to approach the housing and climate crises not as isolated problems, but as interconnected challenges,” Van Tol says, noting that his work is informed not just by his academic expertise in climate science but also by his experience living in urban areas that lack adequate affordable housing.