Andy Burnham unveils £442m plan to end rough sleeping
Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveils a £442m package to provide emergency accommodation and support this winter, aiming to get everyone off the streets by Christmas.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Burnham announced a £442m package to offer accommodation to every rough sleeper in England this winter.
- The initiative builds on the success of the Covid-era Everyone In scheme which helped over 37,000 people.
- Official data recorded 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025, a 96% increase over five years.
- Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly criticized the lack of detail regarding funding and implementation.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled a major pledge to tackle rough sleeping, setting a firm goal to bring every rough sleeper off the streets of England by the upcoming Christmas holiday. Fulfilling a core promise made upon entering Downing Street in July, the government is rolling out an initiative designed to provide immediate shelter and comprehensive care.
The comprehensive effort is backed by a £442m funding package aimed at delivering emergency accommodation alongside practical health support to address individual medical and personal needs.
This new strategy draws inspiration from Everyone In, the successful pandemic-era scheme launched in March 2020 that successfully housed roughly 37,000 individuals in hotels and temporary lodgings. Shelter charity data previously showed that about a quarter of those beneficiaries secured settled housing lasting at least six months.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Beyond immediate street exits, the funding is slated to deliver over 1,000 permanent homes across the next three years. It will also finance intensive wraparound support, such as psychiatric care and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, enabling individuals to rebuild their lives securely.
"The possibility of ending homelessness is amazing. [But] things like hidden homelessness have been normalised..."
Chloe
Chloe, a 27-year-old from London who experienced rough sleeping last year after navigating the foster care system, believes the scheme will be welcomed by most people on the streets. Having received housing support from Crisis which allowed her to pursue studies at film school, she emphasizes that foundational issues like hidden homelessness and sofa-surfing also require continuous attention.
The Everyone In scheme demonstrated how rapid government intervention and cross-sector cooperation can successfully shelter thousands during a crisis. Reintroducing a scaled-up version backed by £442m signals a strong intent to address systemic rough sleeping, though long-term success will heavily rely on seamless local council coordination and the delivery of promised permanent social housing units.
Similarly, Meron, an Eritrean national who arrived in the UK three years ago, has been living in a tent inside a central London tunnel for two months after his three-month contract at an Amazon Warehouse concluded, highlighting the precarious nature of employment and housing security.
Critics, however, remain cautious. Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly argued there was insufficient detail regarding how the initiative would be funded and delivered, warning that families might fear potential tax increases unless the government clarifies which programs face budget cuts to finance the project.
Source: BBC Politics
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