London activates emergency weather protocol as temperatures plummet
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has activated the capital’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) for the first time this winter as temperatures plummet to 0°C.
The protocol is aimed at protecting those in the city who are sleeping rough, providing them with emergency accommodation to help prevent illness and death due to freezing conditions.
London boroughs across the capital, together with homelessness charities, will open additional emergency accommodation for those sleeping on the streets, and local councils are encouraged to ensure that no one is asked to leave accommodation until an assessment has taken place to identify a long-term route for them out of rough sleeping.
Additional accommodation will also be provided through a pan-London ‘overflow’ accommodation service funded by the Mayor.
This marks the first time the protocol has been activated this winter. SWEP was last active for 22 nights over winter 2024/25, which saw more than 2,000 people housed and kept off the streets.
The number of rough sleepers in London has reached record highs, with the latest data showing that more than 13,000 people were seen rough sleeping in London.
The Mayor cited the national housing crisis and squeezed local council budgets as factors exacerbating the issue of homelessness in the capital.
As part of Khan’s efforts to address rough sleeping, 18,000 people have been helped off London’s streets since 2016, with three-quarters staying off the streets for good. Khan drastically increased the city’s rough sleeping budget, with the current fund more than five-times the £8.45 million a year it was when he took office in 2016.
In January 2025, he announced a further £10 million of new funding to tackle rough sleeping, which is the largest single investment in this issue in the history of the London mayoralty. This funding is further supported by an additional £17 million from government and will help to provide a network of homelessness hubs as well as supporting the refurbishment up to 500 empty homes for people at risk of rough sleeping.
“With temperatures dropping below zero, we have activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol for the first time this winter to ensure anyone sleeping rough in freezing conditions is offered emergency accommodation and support to stay off the streets for good,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
“Earlier this year, I announced the biggest ever single investment of £10million to tackle homelessness to support those most at risk of sleeping rough. And for the first time ever, a new focus on prevention will allow teams to step in and provide support to Londoners at risk of rough sleeping before they spend a first night on the streets.”
“I am committed to ending rough sleeping by 2030 and providing support to get people off the streets. Helping people to start rebuilding their lives is at the centre of our plan, as we work together to build a safer, fairer London for everyone,” he said.
