Andy Burnham announces increased funding of £442m to offer everyone who needs it a route off the streets by Christmas.
Everyone sleeping rough in England this winter will be offered a route of the streets, according to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, giving people facing long-term homelessness a settled home and the support they need to keep it.
According to the latest statistics, published in May, 7,541 people were estimated to be sleeping rough in England in March 2026, some 3,045 of them (40%) sleeping rough long-term. Of the total, 81% were male and 89% were known to be eligible for public funds, either being a UK national or due to their immigration status. New data will be published this month.
To end homelessness this Christmas, the Prime Minister has committed to increase the funding of £340m announced in July by a further £102m from uncommitted budgets. He says areas of the country with greatest need will receive the largest share of these funds. Working the local councils, mayors will play a lead role in driving local action, ensuring initiatives fit the needs of communities.
The government will publish guidance to help local areas mobilise quickly, drawn from lessons learned in the innovative approaches developed during the Covid pandemic.
That guidance will include ensuring adequate and accessible provision for women, who are often under-represented in official statistics on homelessness and can face greater risks of abuse, exploitation and violence. Local leaders are encouraged to consider providing single-sex accommodation with specialist support.
The programme, funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), will cover the costs of emergency accommodation as well as offering practical, wraparound support a range of issues including housing and health to help people build a more secure future.
It adds to the investment, announced in July, for long-term accommodation, with more than a thousand settled homes to be delivered over the next three years.
What’s more, this autumn he will host a first-of-its kind national summit on tackling rough sleeping. This will bring together business, finance, charities, health, faith and community groups to explore how they can work together to end rough sleeping.
The government says the programme will benefit not only people living on the streets but also everyone in the country, citing statistics from the charity Crisis that preventing 40,000 people becoming homeless could save taxpayers some £370m per year.
Even so, getting people off the streets is one thing; ensuring secure accommodation in the longer term is also a key issue. According to the latest official figures, relating to January-March 2026, some 135,580 households in England are living in temporary accommodation such as hostels, B&Bs and bedsits, an increase of 4,690 households (3.6%) since the previous year. That included 177,530 children, an increase of 8,820 children (5%), and the highest figure since records began in 2004.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says: ‘No one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it. I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.
‘We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again. But it needs all of us. Government will put the money in. But I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too. Let’s get people out the cold. And let’s bring back hope.’
Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, adds: ‘When the Prime Minister pledged to end rough sleeping, we said we’d move urgently from words to action. Today we’re delivering on that promise. This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.
‘Working alongside councils, mayors and charities, we’re backing local areas to tackle rough sleeping at its roots, giving people the security, dignity and opportunity they deserve, and restoring hope to those who have been let down for far too long.’
Image: Jake Leonard/UnSplash
In related news:
Leave a Reply