In January 2017, then-mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham promised to end rough sleeping in the region by 2020 – a pledge that did not materialise. Nearly a decade later, after becoming prime minister, he vowed to end rough sleeping across England. The question is whether this promise will hold.
Burnham told the Guardian in 2019 that his commitment was a “wake-up call to the system,” despite advisers urging a softer pledge. Official figures showed rough sleeping decreased by two-thirds in Manchester during his first five years as mayor, but critics note the statistics are based on single-night snapshots and that rough sleeping remains visible in the city.
Funding and Scale of the Problem
Burnham’s government pledged an extra £340m over five years (£68m per year) on top of £3.5bn already allocated to tackle homelessness. With an estimated 15,000-18,000 rough sleepers annually, this equates to about £3,777 per person – roughly four months’ rent. The government says it will target 3,000 of the most vulnerable rough sleepers with closer to £22,000 per head.
According to Shelter, there are 380,000 homeless people in England, a figure likely an underestimate. Solving homelessness would require an unprecedented social housebuilding programme and reversing 16 years of austerity, which would demand higher taxes, more borrowing, and nationalisation – unlikely under a Labour government committed to market economics.
Short-Term Solutions
Burnham could trigger a nationwide Housing First programme, which gives people a home with no preconditions and tailored support. This worked during the Covid-19 pandemic with the Everyone In campaign, which virtually ended rough sleeping overnight by block-booking hotels.
Other measures include removing barriers in the benefits system, housing people in 300,000 long-term empty homes, capping rents at affordable rates, and fast-tracking asylum applications to allow work while claims are processed. These cost little political capital and could ease suffering quickly.
Whether Burnham will act remains uncertain, but he must move swiftly to honour his promise and help those sleeping on the streets.
