Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a major package of support to get rough sleepers off Britain's streets by Christmas, following his first instruction as Prime Minister to end rough sleeping. The announcement includes an increase in funding of £442 million and promises immediate action to offer everyone who needs it a route off the streets by Christmas.
New accommodation and support
New accommodation and support will be rolled out across England this winter. Alongside emergency accommodation, the programme will offer practical help with housing, health and other needs, helping people build a more stable future. The government says this has been fully funded within the Ministry of Housing budgets.
Research from Crisis suggests that preventing 40,000 people from becoming homeless for a year could save taxpayers around £370 million.
Prime Minister's personal statement
Prime Minister Andy Burnham added a personal statement: "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."
Housing Secretary's response
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "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."
In an opinion piece in the Guardian, Burnham wrote: "For decades, Westminster has treated rough sleeping like a problem to step around rather than solve. It's a philosophy that took hold in the 1980s and came back full force in the era of austerity: this idea that rough sleeping is just a fact of life rather than something government has a responsibility to end... No matter who they are or what they've been through, every person sleeping rough deserves a chance to get back on their feet – and, together, that's exactly what we'll give them."
Local implementation
Homeless charity Crisis said the announcement was "really significant". "It marks a turning point in our country that we're not going to tolerate people being forced to sleep on the streets," a spokesperson said. Areas facing the most significant pressures will receive the largest share of support, as communities across England work to address rough sleeping in their areas.
In collaboration with councils, Mayors will take a leading role in driving local initiatives to end rough sleeping and making decisions that are most beneficial to their communities. In addition to funding allocations, the Government is publishing guidance to help local areas mobilise quickly and establish a consistent pathway for individuals to leave the streets this winter.
