Cass woke up vomiting as soon as the heatwave rolled in (2024)

The air is thick when Cass wakes. Her skin is sticky with sweat and her stomach churns with nausea. Minutes later, the vomiting starts.

This is the uncomfortable reality of experiencing homelessness in a heatwave.

Cass has been living out of a vehicle for more than a year and suffers significantly every time the temperature spikes, especially during heatwaves like the one currently blanketing NSW and Queensland.

"There's nausea and vomiting from sucking in my own air all night ... you get very, very dehydrated, you're always thirsty," she told 9news.com.au.

"You get dry, itchy, wrinkly skin because it's so dehydrated and it starts to have an effect on your renal system, your kidneys, your bladder."

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au

Dehydration leads to persistent UTIs and overheating could cause loss of consciousness, but cracking a door or window for fresh air presents a whole new risk, especially for women and children: what happens if a someone tries to get in?

Most nights Cass sleeps with her van locked up tight for her own safety.

"It gets very hot in here, finding ways to circulate the air becomes almost a full-time job," she said.

More than 122,000 people experience homelessness on any given night in Australia and a rising number are living out of vehicles, putting their health and safety at risk as summer approaches and temperatures soar.

"The warmer months can bring unique challenges for people sleeping rough and doing it tough. During this time, we often see an increase in demand for our services," Lucas Patchett, Orange Sky CEO, told 9news.com.au.

Australians sleeping rough, couch surfing and living in crisis accommodation face added challenges in hot weather, but those living in their vehicles are at particular risk.

Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggest that thousands of Australians were living in their vehicles in the 2022-2023 financial year alone and homelessness support services say that number is on the rise.

"A vehicle can heat up to 10 degrees-plus above the ambient temperature outside in direct sunlight," Patrick Crawford, a team leader for Missionbeat's homelessness outreach service, told 9news.com.au.

He fears for individuals like Cass who have nowhere else to go as Australia braces for an especially hot and wet summer.

Though organisations like Mission Australia and OrangeSky are working hard to support Aussies living out of vehicles, identifying, connecting with and supporting people living out of vehicles can be complex and costly.

"It takes more resources to locate 10 people in cars that we might be aware of in the inner west, than it does to go down George Street and find 10 people," Crawford said.

"The resources required ... are greater and therefore more costly, so the support of the community and the government in us doing our work is really appreciated."

But surviving homelessness in a heatwave is about so much more than physical health.

Cass' mental health suffers every night she's "locked inside" her van, forced to choose between cracking a door for a breeze and her own safety.

She's considered investing in cooling options like a fan but even if she had enough cash to buy one, she doesn't know how she'd afford to run it.

And Aussies experiencing homelessness aren't the only ones facing that kind of financial stress this summer.

"We have seen a 25 per cent growth in the use of our services since last year, and this increase is coming from people from all walks of life; families, retirees, students and middle-aged women and men," Patchett said.

Some of the people seeking help from OrangeSky are employed or in insecure housing and simply can't afford necessities like water, never mind running an air-conditioning unit.

Cass feels "lucky" to have her van, as it allows her to chase cooler weather during heatwaves and travel to the beach to cool off when possible, but so many Aussies experiencing homelessness don't have that option.

With the nation in the grips of a cost of living and rental crisis, he calls for compassion and understanding from fellow Aussies as tens of thousands face homelessness every night this summer.

Patchett and Crawford urge anyone who identifies a person experiencing or at risk of homelessness this summer to help them engage with professional support, like that offered through Mission Australia or OrangeSky.

"Then we can respond and help with early intervention, and hopefully keep people safe."

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