Government pledges £874m to tackle rough sleeping
Andy Burnham pledges to end rough sleeping by Christmas with £874m in new funding and a cross-sector summit.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a £432m boost to his pledge to offer every rough sleeper in England a bed by Christmas, doubling the initial funding package [1]. The announcement comes ahead of the first-ever Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street, where Burnham is bringing together charities, businesses, and local leaders to ensure the plan is sustainable beyond the winter. Total investment will now reach £874m, with funds to extend support through the end of this Parliament [2].
According to official figures from autumn 2025, 4,793 people were sleeping rough in England—a record high and a 171% increase since 2010 [1]. More than 40% of those were in London and the South East. The government says outreach teams are already operating in Coventry, Plymouth, and Camden, with more bed spaces being rolled out in the coming weeks [2].
Burnham stated: "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." He stressed the need for societal collaboration, saying the effort must last beyond Christmas [1].
The National Housing Federation is collaborating with housing associations to locate at least 2,000 available homes and bed spaces, including properties currently vacant that could be repurposed [2]. Partnerships include L’Oréal Group’s social salon with St Mungo’s and Haircuts4Homeless, Virgin Media O2’s digital support, and contributions from Ikea, Morrisons Foundation, and Comic Relief [1].
However, critics question whether the scale of accommodation is sufficient, with uncertainty over how many units are self-contained [2]. Charities, including Crisis, are urging the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, which have been frozen since 2024 and now leave over 1.1 million low-income renters unable to cover rent. The Resolution Foundation warns that without reform, preventing homelessness will remain elusive.
Shadow housing secretary Katie Lam accused Burnham of failing to meet his own pledge in Greater Manchester, where rough sleeping rose from 125 in 2020 to 197 in 2025 despite his earlier promise to end it [2]. She called the new funding a 'costly promise' and urged tax cuts instead. The story was first reported by Mirror and BBC News.
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