New South Wales can be an unforgiving place, even more so during the hottest months of the year. We’re all trying to stay cool, but it’s always harder for some rather than others. Some of the hardest days of the year for those of us experiencing homelessness occur on days like today, when temperatures can soar to well above 40 degrees around the state.

There are more than 37,000 NSW residents without stable housing, according to data from the last census night, and dangerously high temperatures without access to heatwave essentials like cold water and shade can have adverse effects on people already at a disadvantage.

Thursday Drives’s Nathaniel Keesing talked to Digby Hughes from Homelessness NSW about the unique experiences of those sleeping rough on some of the hottest nights of the year. Digby is a Senior Policy and Research Officer for the organisation, and he’s passionate about our responsibility as individuals to support those experiencing homelessness.