Andy Burnham’s new homelessness plan welcomed as ‘decisive step forward’ for ending rough sleeping
The prime minister has pledged an additional £442 million in funding "to get everyone in for Christmas"
Homelessness charities have widely welcomed prime minister Andy Burnham’s announcement that he will give all rough sleepers “a route off the streets” by Christmas.
Burnham has announced an additional £102 million in funding, adding to the £340 million he committed in July.
This will deliver a total of £442 million in additional funding to provide homeless people with emergency accommodation and help them access healthcare and other support services.
The approach draws on the strategy used during the ‘Everyone In’ scheme in the covid-19 pandemic.
When he made his first speech as prime minister a month ago, Burnham said his “first instruction” on entering No 10 would be to end rough sleeping.
The prime minister has also said he will host a “first of its kind” national summit in the Autumn.
The event will bring together leaders from different sectors to ask what role they can play in helping to end rough sleeping.
Reacting to Burnham’s announcement, Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said that today’s announcement “puts us on the path to an historic milestone: the end of rough sleeping in England”.
“Being forced to sleep rough puts people at increased risk of serious illness, violence, and abuse. The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 45 for men and 43 for women. So getting people off the streets and onto the path to a settled, secure home will save lives.
“In the long-term, rough sleeping can only be solved with the provision of safe, affordable homes, so we really welcome the funding to provide more settled homes.
“Where access to a home isn’t possible straight away, providing good quality accommodation with a clear plan to support people into settled housing is a vital first step.”
Dr Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, said: “Today’s announcement marks a pivotal moment: an acknowledgement from the highest level of political leadership that rough sleeping should not exist, and a decisive step forward to end it once and for all.
“Housing is key, but housing alone will not be enough. A roof over somebody’s head provides immediate safety, but lasting recovery requires intensive, person-centred, joined-up support. That today’s announcement provides both a commitment to get people off the streets quickly, as well as the tailored support needed to help them stay off them for good, is exactly the right approach.
Haddad added: “Burnham’s greatest challenge will be sustaining this ambition and galvanising action across government, local government and wider society to address the root causes of homelessness.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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