Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to end rough sleeping in England as the first policy directive of his new government, backing the pledge with £340 million drawn from unused housing department funds.
The funding is expected to deliver 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people over five years. Burnham previously oversaw a two-thirds reduction in rough sleeping during his first five years as Greater Manchester mayor, though the figure has since risen in each of the past four years.
The initiative confronts a deepening crisis: official statistics recorded a record 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025, while 176,130 children sat in temporary accommodation at the end of last year.