Funding Set to Double for Rough Sleeper Plan
Source reports published 25 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 26 Oct 2026, 8:37 am AEST
The UK government is increasing funding for a plan to house rough sleepers by £874 million by the end of the current parliament. This includes a £432 million addition to the existing £442 million package, aiming to provide support and accommodation across England.
What happened
- The government is committing £874 million to address rough sleeping in England.
- Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, announced a further £432 million investment alongside the existing £442 million, bringing the total to £874 million.
- This funding will extend support beyond March 2027.
- Burnham previously implemented the Bed Every Night scheme in Greater Manchester, which provided more than 600 beds per night, but saw numbers rise again due to Greater Manchester being the only area offering this level of support.
- The government’s commitment is that every rough sleeper will receive accommodation or support.
- Initial funding is being used to establish specialist outreach teams and new bed spaces in locations like Coventry, Plymouth, and Camden.
- The National Housing Federation will identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bed spaces, including empty properties.
- However, questions remain about whether this number is sufficient.
- Katie Lam, Shadow Housing Secretary, criticized Burnham’s previous efforts, stating he ‘failed to solve a problem he failed to solve in Greater Manchester’.
- John Healey, the Chancellor, stated the government will ‘not back down from making sure everyone has the offer of a route off the streets this Christmas’.
- Organisations like Virgin Media O2 and L’Oréal are also contributing to the initiative.
Original reporting
- BBC: Funding set to double for plan to get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas
2026-10-25T22:37:36.723000+00:00 - Guardian: Burnham pledges £900m for homelessness amid drive to end rough sleeping
2026-10-25T00:00:00+00:00