Mixed reaction to Burnham pledge to end rough sleeping at ‘earliest opportunity’

The Prime Minister used his first speech in office to launch an urgent drive to end rough sleeping in England at the earliest opportunity, backed from day one by an additional £340 million. 

Rejecting the notion that ending rough sleeping will take decades or that it can’t be done at all, Burnham pointed to the experience of ‘Everyone In’ during the pandemic, which showed that with the right political will, it can be done.

Urgent first steps will begin to help those sleeping rough over a long period to move into secure housing. This includes beginning the acquisition of suitable homes, identifying those most in need and starting to provide housing and support without delay.

The new funding is the first phase of investment in a wider five-year programme that will provide homes and support for thousands of the people facing the most severe and long-term homelessness. Further steps will be set out before the autumn.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that. This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.

“On my first day as Prime Minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity. We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.

“This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off.”

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, interim director at Shelter Scotland, warned against more “sticking plasters” in place of long-term solutions.

“Andy Burnham is right to make homelessness his day one priority,” he said. “Rough sleeping in Scotland more than doubled between 2021 and 2025. But it would be wrong to suggest that getting people off the streets is enough.

“Rough sleeping happens because councils don’t have enough homes or hotel rooms even to provide basic emergency accommodation. It is a symptom of a political failure at Westminster and Holyrood that prefers sticking plasters to long-term solutions.

“If Andy Burnham is serious then he should look again at how the UK Government creates homelessness by cutting local housing allowance – making it impossible for people when their wages don’t keep up with rents.

“He should look again at the asylum system that forces people fleeing persecution into homelessness by evicting them from accommodation when they are granted leave to remain.

“He should remove the so-called bedroom tax which the Scottish Government spends millions of pounds every year to effectively eradicate in Scotland. Money that would be better spent on homelessness prevention and local services.

“And most importantly, he should invest in a new generation of social housing, including increasing capital investment in Scotland so that councils and housing associations can build at scale.”

Michael Corbishley, head of local delivery, Homewards, The Royal Foundation, agreed: “Homelessness is rarely the result of a single factor. While tackling rough sleeping is vital, lasting progress depends on also preventing people from reaching crisis point in the first place. It’s brilliant to see that homelessness is being recognised as a priority, and we can all work together to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.”

For the Institute of Economic Affairs, speeding up private housebuilding is the key to ending rough sleeping.

Senior economist Valentin Boboc said: “When Andy Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester, he promised to end rough sleeping by 2020. Yet, official numbers rose for four years in a row and more than doubled from 2021 to 2025, even though millions were spent on the ‘A Bed Every Night’ programme.

“The ongoing problem of rough sleeping shows how serious Britain’s housing shortage is. To tackle this, the Prime Minister should focus on speeding up private housebuilding across the country to make future efforts more cost effective.”

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said Burnham’s ambition will “resonate strongly” across the housing sector.

A spokesperson said: “CIH congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister. We welcome his track record in championing the importance of housing to opportunity, economic growth and community wellbeing, while making a strong case for devolution and empowering local leaders to meet the needs of their communities. In his first speech as Prime Minister, he spoke about restoring hope and opportunity and made a clear commitment to building more council housing and ending rough sleeping – an ambition that will resonate strongly across the housing sector.

“We look forward to working with his new administration to support delivery of the affordable and social homes the country urgently needs, helping to create stronger communities and ensure more people have access to a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.

“We also want to thank Sir Keir Starmer for his leadership on housing and for keeping the need to increase housing supply at the heart of the national conversation during his time in office.”

Commenting on Angela Rayner’s return to her former role as housing secretary, the CIH added: “CIH welcomes Angela Rayner’s reappointment as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and looks forward to continuing to work with her and her ministerial team. 

“During her previous tenure as Secretary of State, Angela Rayner demonstrated strong leadership on housing, communities and local government, helping to place housing at the centre of discussions about economic growth, opportunity and national renewal. 

“During that time, she oversaw some of the most significant housing reforms in a generation. These included major changes to the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Act, reforms to the planning system designed to accelerate housebuilding and support delivery of 1.5 million homes, measures to strengthen the delivery of affordable and social housing, and changes to Right to Buy intended to better protect existing social housing stock. 

“Angela Rayner also played a key role in securing a strong Spending Review settlement for housing, including significant long-term investment in affordable and social homes. Alongside this, she has consistently recognised the importance of working in partnership with housing organisations, local government and others across the sector to deliver lasting change and tackle the housing crisis. 

“Her focus on increasing housing supply, improving security and standards for renters, supporting councils and empowering local leaders to meet the needs of their communities helped drive progress across the sector, while also highlighting the scale of the challenges that remain. 

“Housing remains fundamental to creating thriving communities and supporting economic success. While significant challenges remain, including the need to increase housing supply, tackle affordability pressures and secure the long-term investment needed for existing and new homes, there is also a real opportunity to build on the progress already made. 

“As the professional body for housing, CIH looks forward to working once again with the Secretary of State, her ministerial colleagues and partners across the sector to support delivery of the homes the country needs. This includes making the most of the opportunities presented by the recent investment settlement, securing certainty for housing providers and ensuring local areas have the tools and capacity needed to meet the needs of their communities. 

“We will continue to engage closely with government on the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector and will keep members updated on developments in the months ahead.”