Burnham launches ‘national drive’ to get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas

Burnham launches £442m national drive to end rough sleeping by Christmas

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a £442m national drive to offer every rough sleeper in England a route off the streets by Christmas, with £102m in additional funding allocated immediately. The plan, which aims to replicate the success of the pandemic-era Everyone In initiative, represents the first major step in his pledge to end rough sleeping.

The announcement was made during a visit to the north-east of England, where Burnham visited Alex's Place, a homeless facility in Newcastle run by the charity Changing Lives. The Prime Minister said he feels "very passionately" about tackling homelessness, but acknowledged that government money alone may not be enough.

"The government money may not fully get us there," Burnham told reporters. "I'm saying to wider society, faith organisations, let's see if we can do this together. Let's see if Britain can do this. Give everybody an offer to come inside before Christmas."

The funding package

The £442m package includes:

• £102m in new funding from uncommitted budgets within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), aimed at immediate routes off the streets this winter.
• £8.4m of that sum will go to charities and faith groups through the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.
• £340m previously announced last month for long-term rough sleepers, intended to provide 1,200 new homes and support 3,000 people over five years.

In addition, Burnham pledged to donate 15% of his prime ministerial salary to homelessness charities and the same percentage of his MP earnings to local organisations.

He will also host a national summit this autumn, described as a first-of-its-kind event, to bring together leaders from business, finance, charities, health, and faith communities to explore their role in ending rough sleeping.

Record rough sleeping figures

The latest annual statistics, published in February, show an estimated 4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England—a record high and the fourth consecutive annual increase. The figures also revealed that 43% of rough sleepers were concentrated in London and the South East.

However, more recent London data from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) found 3,959 people slept rough in the capital between April and June this year, down from 4,392 in the same period in 2025—a 10% year-on-year decline. Officials also cited government data showing 135,580 households were in temporary accommodation in England at the end of March, including 177,530 children.

Local funding allocations

As part of the announcement, the government released a breakdown of funding for local authorities. Derby is set to receive £801,329, more than half of the £1.4m allocated to seven Derbyshire councils. Other allocations include Amber Valley £105,569, Bolsover £72,360, Chesterfield £167,865, Erewash £114,298, High Peak £82,602, and North East Derbyshire £77,458.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority will receive £10.5m over two years, starting next April. Claire Ward, the East Midlands Mayor, welcomed the funding, saying it would help drive regional action.

However, some areas, including Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire, will not receive direct funding. A footnote in the government's spreadsheet explained that authorities with at least two registered homeless people, based on a 12-month average, would receive funding, while areas with fewer numbers should "draw on existing funding to support people experiencing rough sleeping in their area."

Charity reaction

The plan has been broadly welcomed by homelessness charities. Sarah Elliott, chief executive of Shelter, called it "a game-changing move," while Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, described the announcement as "a clear statement" of intent. Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, noted that the pandemic proved that "when we decide rough sleeping is unacceptable, we can act accordingly."

St Mungo's, a leading homelessness charity, said it shares the Prime Minister's belief that nobody should be forced to sleep on the streets. However, the charity warned that this is "only the beginning," stressing that "short, sharp interventions can only go so far" and that long-term recovery and housing support are essential to break the cycle.

Criticism from opposition

The plan has also drawn criticism. Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said Burnham had promised to end rough sleeping in Manchester as mayor and failed, questioning the credibility of the new pledge. Deputy Reform UK leader Richard Tice dismissed it as "yet another vague announcement," accusing the government of using the homeless "for political gain." Liberal Democrat housing spokesman Gideon Amos said "sticking plasters won't fix the homelessness crisis."

A personal mission

Burnham has framed the initiative as a personal priority, writing in the Guardian that rough sleeping has become so common it "feels like part of the scenery." He argued that the pandemic showed "we can do it again," adding: "That's why the first thing I announced when I became prime minister was a commitment to end rough sleeping. Not to manage it, not to reduce it—but to end it."

The government has not set a concrete target for the Christmas deadline, and officials acknowledged that not every rough sleeper may accept the offer. Burnham himself said he "would not instruct local authorities how to use the money," and aides conceded that some people may still be on the streets after Christmas.

Despite the caveats, Burnham insisted the drive represents a "rallying call" to the nation. "Let's see if we can do this together," he said. "We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again."