The Liverpool City Region will receive almost £10m from the government as part of a wider national drive to end rough sleeping, with Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram hoping 2026 will be the last year anyone is forced to sleep on the streets.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed last week he would seek to get everyone who needs a bed somewhere to sleep by Christmas. A £442m plan is being rolled out over three years to provide new accommodation and support this winter.
Funding and reaction
Alongside emergency accommodation to end the need for rough sleeping, the programme will offer practical help with housing, health and other needs. Mr Burnham said he won't accept people having to "bed down in a doorway or outside a station."
Working alongside councils, Mayors will play a leading role in driving local action to end rough sleeping and making decisions that are right for their communities. As part of this, almost £10m has been allocated to the Liverpool City Region.
Giving his reaction, Mr Rotheram said the Prime Minister had sent a "powerful message" about the future direction of the country.
He said: "The measure of any decent society is how we treat our most vulnerable citizens and, hopefully, 2026 will be the last year that anyone in this country is forced to sleep in a doorway, on a pavement or anywhere else just to make it through the night.
"A safe, secure home is the foundation for everything else in life – whether that be your health, your education, your employment or your future. Everyone deserves that security but for too many people across our country, that is sadly not the reality."
Local challenges and calls for a hub
Cllr Richard Kemp, the Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson in Liverpool, has challenged Mr Rotheram to use the money to create a new hub for the homeless in central Liverpool. In a letter to the mayor, the veteran councillor said unless a hub is created then a "revolving door" will simply go faster and will not solve the problem.
He said: "Many of the people I spoke to had accommodation available which for a variety of reasons they wouldn't or couldn't use. Alternatively, many had been evicted from accommodation because of their poor behaviour relating to their complex mental problems.
"When I asked what is the biggest thing that we could do to help the homeless and people who have been on the streets the reply was unanimous: provide a hub for the homeless somewhere which is accessible so that they have a safe place to go and be supported."
Alongside funding allocations, the Government is publishing guidance to help local areas mobilise quickly and deliver a consistent route off the street offer this winter. The guidance will make clear the need to ensure adequate and accessible provision for women experiencing rough sleeping, recognising that women are often underrepresented in official statistics and may be at greater risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation.
Support and financial pressures
Cllr Graham Morgan, deputy Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, holds the housing portfolio and gave his assessment of Andy Burnham's announcement. He said: "This is another positive step and welcome signal from the Prime Minister about the direction of travel when it comes to supporting councils to address some of the most pressing issues facing our communities."
Cllr Morgan added how the financial pressures on local authorities continued to bite not just here but further across the UK. He said: "Councils cannot continue to absorb these costs alone.
"According to the Local Government Association, expenditure on temporary accommodation increased by over 1,000% in real terms between 2011 and 2025, with councils spending around £6 billion over that period. Those figures demonstrate the scale of the challenge facing local authorities."
