The Prime Minister used his first speech in office to announce an urgent national campaign to end rough sleeping at the earliest opportunity, calling it one of the starkest injustices facing the country. The effort will be backed from day one by an additional £340 million, taking total funding to record levels.
Speaking on the steps of Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the government could restore hope to Britain, dismissing suggestions that ending rough sleeping would take decades or could not be achieved at all. He pointed to the success of the pandemic-era “Everyone In” scheme as evidence that political will can deliver rapid results, and argued that the current crisis stems from years of national government failure and Westminster’s tendency to overlook the issue, even as it remained visible to local leaders.
Before his address, the Prime Minister met people with direct experience of sleeping rough, hearing how the situation can trap individuals in cycles of poor health, insecurity and repeated crisis. He said the presence of thousands of people sleeping rough each night was not inevitable but the result of political choices, and pledged immediate action.
Initial steps will focus on helping long-term rough sleepers into secure housing, including acquiring suitable properties, identifying those most in need, and beginning support without delay. The £340 million represents the first phase of a five-year programme aimed at providing homes and support for thousands facing the most severe and prolonged homelessness, with further details expected before autumn.
Officials say the approach draws on research suggesting a year of rough sleeping costs around £20,128 per person, compared with £1,426 for a successful prevention intervention. Councils, mayors, the NHS and other public services will be given backing to deliver urgent support before winter, building on local schemes already shown to reduce rough sleeping.
The government says the programme, whose opening investment will fund 1,200 homes and support for at least 3,000 people, is intended to ease pressure on the NHS and criminal justice system while strengthening communities across the country.
The Prime Minister said: ‘For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that.
‘This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.
‘On my first day as Prime Minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity.
‘We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.
‘This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off. Let’s bring back hope.’
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