Burnham doubles rough sleeping funding to nearly £900m

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 22:57 · Archive

The Prime Minister has announced an additional £432 million towards ending rough sleeping by Christmas, doubling total funding to £874 million.

Andy Burnham has announced a further £432 million in funding to tackle rough sleeping in England by Christmas, doubling total government investment to £874 million. The additional money, to be confirmed in Chancellor John Healey's Budget on Wednesday, will be added to an initial £442 million already allocated from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government budgets.

Burnham made ending rough sleeping one of his first promises after entering Downing Street in July. He has pledged that every rough sleeper in England will be offered a route off the streets or wider support by Christmas, with the government's commitment understood to mean people will either physically move into accommodation or be offered support to prevent them sleeping rough.

The Prime Minister said: 'Rough sleeping isn't a fact of life. It's a thing governments either choose to accept or don't. Well I don't accept it. That's why we're doubling funding so that people aren't just offered a safe route off the streets this winter but have that same support right through the rest of this Parliament too.'

Burnham emphasised that the solution cannot be achieved by government alone. 'If we're going to end rough sleeping, we need every part of society behind us on this,' he said. To mobilise this support, he will host the first-ever Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street on Monday, bringing together charities, businesses, housing associations and local leaders.

Housing associations have pledged to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bed spaces for people moving off the streets, including empty properties that could be brought back into use. Other organisations are making commitments including Virgin Media O2, which will provide digital connectivity for vulnerable people, and L'Oréal, which is partnering with St Mungo's on a 'Social Salon' initiative to support rough sleepers' wellbeing. Additional pledges include employment programmes, social housing projects and charitable funding.

Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, welcomed the 'massively welcomed' funding announcement but cautioned that solving rough sleeping will be a 'long game'. She noted that St Mungo's works with people with multiple disadvantages and complex needs, often with years of trauma. 'One offer of a route off the streets won't necessarily touch the sides,' she said, emphasising that not everyone will accept support by Christmas and that sustained funding and tailored assistance are essential.

The government said initial funding has already seen specialist outreach teams and new bed spaces operating in Coventry, with further provision being rolled out in places including Plymouth and Camden. The additional funding will extend support beyond March 2027 to the end of this Parliament. According to figures from last autumn, an estimated 4,793 people were sleeping rough in England.

How it is being reported

• Funding set to double for plan to get rough sleepers off streets by ChristmasBurnham made ending rough sleeping his first pledge when entering Downing Street in July.BBC News · 25 Oct, 22:37
• PM pledges support for all of London's rough sleepers this Christmas with £432m boostMinisters promise everyone sleeping on London’s streets will be offered help before ChristmasEvening Standard · 25 Oct, 22:35
• Andy Burnham to double funding behind vow to offer all rough sleepers a bed by ChristmasIt comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham prepares to host major charities and local leaders for the first-ever rough sleeping summit at Downing Street on MondayThe Mirror · 25 Oct, 22:31
• Burnham to double spending on homelessness amid drive to end rough sleeping by ChristmasDowning Street will allocate a further £432m in this week’s budget, bringing total funding for finding a ‘lasting solution’ to nearly £900m Andy Burnham is to double spending on ending rough sleeping to almost £900m by the end of the current parliament, as he steps up efforts to get people off the streets by Christmas. The prime minister has pledged to offer every rough sleeper in England a safe route off the streets or wider support as a central part of his premiership. Continue reading...The Guardian · 25 Oct, 22:30
• ‘PM’s aim to end rough sleeping by Christmas is great – but what comes after?’Andy Burnham announced his commitment to end rough sleeping in his first speech outside Downing Street (Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) A charity boss has welcomed hundreds of thousands in extra funding for Andy Burnham’s ambition to end rough sleeping by Christmas – but warned that…Metro · 25 Oct, 22:30

In this story: Andy Burnham · Emma Haddad · St Mungo's · Virgin Media O2 · L'Oréal · John Healey · England · London

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