Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted that "names not numbers" will drive his mission to eradicate rough sleeping, as he hosted a summit on the issue in Downing Street on Monday.
Addressing charities and local leaders, Mr Burnham said his plans to tackle homelessness across the country were "permanent" and declared that the approach used in Greater Manchester would now become the national mantra.
"We had a mantra in Greater Manchester and today I'm making it the national mantra that underpins this collective drive," he said. "Names not numbers. That's how you start to end homelessness. If you think about the name, the individual, the person right there in front of you - start there and then work from there. We know that everything is possible when government works on that principle. That's what will guide us."
Funding doubled to £874 million
His comments came as he announced a doubling in funding - to £874 million - behind his pledge to offer every rough sleeper a bed this Christmas. According to the most recent figures, an estimated 4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England.
One person who attended the six-hour long summit told The Mirror it was clear the issue "gets under [the Prime Minister's] skin" and praised the political capital being spent on homelessness. However, they said the issue of the housing benefit freeze was "definitely raised" during the day by charities as the number one thing that could make a "massive difference" at the Budget.
Housing benefit freeze concerns
Local Housing Rates (LHR) set the amount of housing benefit private renters can receive, but freezes have resulted in the benefit failing to keep up with the soaring costs of local rents. During his time as Greater Manchester Mayor, Mr Burnham said ending the freeze would make a real difference in preventing homelessness.
Earlier, the Prime Minister also visited homeless charity St Martin-in-the-fields in central London, where he met with people experiencing homelessness and spoke to frontline workers about conditions on the street.
Defending his record
He also defended his record on tackling homelessness while mayor of Greater Manchester, saying figures "came right down" but the system faltered when people started travelling to the area to take advantage of the offer of a bed. Appearing alongside Chancellor John Healey, he suggested that his nationwide scheme will be more effective.
Asked about the Conservatives' criticism of his record, he told broadcasters: "They are wrong about that because I had a 10-year drive called a bed every night, and if people look at the figures, it came right down. The issue was we were the only area that was offering a bed every night, so obviously people travelled to Greater Manchester. It's clear to me that it only works if everywhere does it."
After Downing Street unveiled the extra cash to fund the mission, Lord John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, said: "Andy Burnham is the first Prime Minister in the thirty-five-year history of the Big Issue to put ending rough sleeping at the very forefront of his plans.
"His record investment in his first 100 days has far outstripped his predecessors, and he should be commended for that. But throwing money at homelessness will never be enough on its own. Now comes the hard part -- turning ambition into action, and making sure this action sustains and endures. As the nights draw in, it's time to see if he can make good on his promise."
