London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, is under mounting pressure to overhaul the capital's emergency cold-weather support system for homeless people, following a week of chaotic protocol activations during Storm Goretti.
SWEP Protocol Deactivated Despite Harsh Conditions
The controversy centres on the Severe Emergency Weather Protocol (SWEP), which is activated by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Councils when temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing. This triggers a duty for local boroughs to provide emergency shelter to those sleeping rough.
However, the system faced severe criticism last week when, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the GLA and London Councils issued a notice deactivating SWEP. The decision was based on Met Office forecasts predicting temperatures above 0°C, despite ongoing wintry conditions of torrential rain and strong winds.
This meant that rough sleepers, who had briefly been offered refuge, were sent back onto the streets to face the remnants of Storm Goretti in near-freezing, sodden conditions.
Charities Demand Consistent, Year-Round Support
Leading homelessness charities have now issued urgent calls for reform. Paul Brocklehurst, Centrepoint's Senior Helpline Manager, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that it was "really disappointing" to see SWEP switched on and off within days.
"The temperatures have rarely been above freezing and the weather has generally been awful," he said. "There are too many inconsistencies around how and when SWEP is activated." He argued that survival should not depend on a postcode.
Francesca Albanese, Executive Director of Policy and Social Change at Crisis, emphasised that rough sleeping is dangerous year-round. "We need to move to a system where there is a minimum of emergency accommodation available for everyone who needs it all year round," she stated.
Mayor's Response and Future Steps
During a visit to a homeless hotel in East London this week, funded with £200,000 from City Hall, Mayor Sadiq Khan acknowledged the system's flaws. He told the LDRS he wants provision to be available "all year round, not just when the weather is bad."
He highlighted that his administration had already changed the rules from requiring three consecutive nights of freezing temperatures to a single night. "When it's zero degrees or approaching zero degrees, councils are working incredibly hard," he said, adding that he was determined to ensure support was available over the coming weekend regardless of the exact temperature.
With London bracing for further rain and misery in the coming weeks, the debate over providing consistent, life-saving shelter for the city's most vulnerable residents has reached a critical point. The SWEP system, designed as an emergency measure, is now itself at the centre of an emergency call for change.
