Emergency accommodation, water and sunscreen, is being offered to homeless people amid the recent hot weather spell in the county.
Jools Ramsey-Palmer, chief executive officer at Ipswich Housing Action Group (ihAg), has highlighted the dangers of the heat for rough sleepers, and has called for understanding from the public.
This comes as Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have triggered their severe weather procedure, which sees anyone who is homeless or rough sleeping offered emergency accommodation.
Ms Ramsey-Palmer said of the recent high temperatures: "We tend to think that the winter weather is most challenging for people who are experiencing homelessness, but hot weather is equally as challenging and can be dangerous for people’s health.
"For people who are sleeping rough on our streets, finding a safe space to get out of the sun is hard, and most only have one or two sets of clothing, which makes keeping cool really difficult."
The charity has been providing sun cream and water to people in Ipswich town centre in the heat, with shared refill sites set up across the town for use throughout the day.
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"Our centre is open to help people get out of the sun, and we’re continuing to offer showers and laundry services to everyone found sleeping rough. We’re working closely with all our partners to make sure people are safe during this hot spell," Ms Ramsey-Palmer added.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils said everyone sleeping rough in the districts will be offered emergency accommodation and water, sunscreen and food will be offered to anyone who does not wish to take up the temporary accommodation offer.
A spokesperson said: "We encourage residents who see anyone sleeping out across the districts to please contact StreetLink or phone 0300 500 0914, and they will notify our dedicated Outreach workers.
"If they see anyone they believe to be under the age of 18, or are concerned about the health or welfare of anyone they see sleeping rough, they should call 999.
"For help or support please contact our housing teams on 0300123 4000 or our emergency out of hours number on 0808 1687 794."
Councillor Alasdair Ross, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for housing, said: “Ipswich Borough Council’s Rough Sleeper Outreach service will be handing out cold water and sun screen. People are being advised to seek shade especially in the middle of the day, stay hydrated and covered up with hats and sunscreen.
"Outreach workers will continue to refer eligible people found rough sleeping into the emergency beds provision on offer and anyone experiencing homelessness in Ipswich should contact Housing Options on 01473 432000 for advice.
"For anyone worried about a homeless person during the hot weather, please offer them water or ask if they need suncream to stay protected in the sun.
"If you are worried about someone please refer them to Streetlink which helps to connect homeless people to local support and services. For anyone in need of medical attention, please contact their GP or call 111.”
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