The People's Kitchen has said that Andy Burnham has "good priorities" after his rough sleeping pledge made today. To help 'get everyone in for Christmas', a huge package of increased funding has been announced by the Prime Minister.
The PM made his way up to the North East on Wednesday to launch the initiative, meeting people at Changing Lives in Elswick at the same time. Everyone who needs a route off the streets will be offered that by Christmas, backed by massive funding of £442 million, with new accommodation and support to be rolled out this winter.
Funding and support package
Alongside offering emergency accommodation, the programme will also bring with it practical help with housing, health and other needs, which Labour says will "help people build a more stable future". The government has said that this has been fully funded within the Ministry of Housing budgets.
In a personal statement that went out alongside the announcement, Mr Burnham said: "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."
Reaction from The People's Kitchen
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner added: "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."
Reacting to the welcome news, Maggie Pavlou, trustee and volunteer at The People's Kitchen, said: "Anything that can be done to reduce the hardship that some of the most vulnerable people in our society have to endure has got to be a good thing.
"Ensuring that every single person has access to accommodation; to an indoor, dry, warm, and safe place to sleep in, have got to be good priorities for the Prime Minister to have.
"I hope that this issue being talked about as a key message by Andy Burnham helps to raise more awareness, and leads to more support for our friends here at The People's Kitchen."
Research from the homelessness charity Crisis suggests that preventing 40,000 people from becoming homeless for one year could save taxpayers around £370 million.
