Community Corner
California Heatwaves Disproportionately Affect the Homeless Population
As recent temperatures soar, unhoused individuals are hit the hardest.
On September 6th in Oakland, CA, temperatures peaked at 102 degrees, launching the day’s weather two degrees within Oakland’s all-time high temperature of 104.
As many Californians seek refuge in air conditioning and cool basements, a sizable part of Oakland’s population is left without protection from the heat. EveryOneHome, a local nonprofit aiming to reduce homelessness in Alameda County, released their 2022 “Point In Time Count” earlier this year. The report details that 3,337 people in Oakland were unsheltered, with 99% living in either a tent, car, van, recreational vehicle, or on the street.
Without shelter, the thousands of homeless individuals in Oakland are subject not only to heightened weather-related discomfort, but also weather-related death. Heat is already the most fatal type of weather on a 10-year and 30-year average. As Oakland’s homeless population endures the surging heat, they are more likely to succumb to heat-related death.