Warm Spaces as a New Manifestation of Austerity Localism

It is estimated that during the winter of 2023–2024, over 2 million people visited a warm space in the UK. More than 4,000 warm spaces were set up, primarily by third-sector organisations, to support people facing spiralling fuel prices and the cost-of-living crisis. This research uses a single-case-study design combining observations and 21 semi-structured interviews at a warm space in England. The article analyses warm spaces as an emerging form of localised welfare provision, investigating the lived experience and resilience of attendees in the face of austerity and the role of the warm space in responding to it. We use austerity localism as an analytical framework to explore the broader policy backdrop against which warm spaces emerged. Our findings contribute to a growing evidence base demonstrating the impact of welfare state retrenchment on local organisations, which are increasingly compelled to provide essential services traditionally seen as a function of the state. While providing a safe and welcoming environment for attendees, the regressive consequences of austerity localism were evident as the warm space was unable to resist and challenge the hardship and inequalities provoked by the rolling back of the state.