Burnham’s homelessness pledge to ‘get everyone in for Christmas’ in jeopardy

Andy Burnham’s pledge to tackle rough sleeping by getting “everyone in for Christmas” is in jeopardy amid rising numbers of people on the streets and a severe housing shortage.

Official figures show an increase of nearly 1,000 people sleeping rough in England between January and June, the latest month for which figures are available.

There were 8,748 rough sleepers in England in June, the highest number since November 2025, according to government statistics.

Only 15% of those were found accommodation by the end of June, the lowest level since August 2025 as councils struggle with the growing demand for temporary and affordable housing.

The homelessness minister, Florence Eshalomi, said the government hoped to offer a bed to every rough sleeper by Christmas but that there was a chronic shortage of suitable housing.

When asked whether every person on the streets in England would be offered accommodation in the next six weeks, she replied, “We are hoping to offer that, but what we are definitely providing is a route off the street for anyone who wishes to take it.”

A “route off the street” may not necessarily involve housing, Eshalomi stated.

“For some individuals it will be a path toward housing, for others a dedicated plan around mental health or substance misuse, and that is the commitment we have made.”

“The offer of a bed will be there for people who want that. We cannot force people off the streets – we must respect that as well – but that offer will remain available.”

Burnham has pledged to offer every rough sleeper in England a safe route off the streets or broader support as a central component of his premiership.

Councils across England have reported that homeless families are increasing due to the chronic shortage of affordable housing, record demand for temporary accommodation, and the long‑term freeze of local housing allowances, which means rents far exceed the support available to low‑income households.

Frontline professionals are also concerned about the impact of the early release scheme in prisons, with some offenders being freed without stable accommodation, as well as a surge of no‑fault evictions before the practice was banned on 1 May.

A record 135,600 households in England were living in temporary accommodation such as B&Bs and hostels at the end of March 2026, according to official data. This represents about a 90% rise over the past decade and a 4% increase year‑on‑year.

In a Downing Street speech when he became prime minister on 20 July, Burnham announced his intention to “end rough sleeping in our country” as the first instruction issued after taking office.

The following month, he introduced £442m of additional funding as part of the “national drive to get everyone in for Christmas” initiative.

In October, he allocated further £432m from March 2027 to provide “a safe route off the streets this winter” and support through the end of this parliament.

Eshalomi, who was appointed by Burnham in July, has previously described the freeze of local housing allowances as a “systemic barrier” and a “major obstacle” in reducing homelessness.

During a visit to a temporary accommodation facility in Manchester last week, she noted that the area was not “best policy” and that she had raised the issue “constantly with colleagues and the Treasury.”

When asked if she had done so before John Healey’s budget last month, she replied, “I have been an MP since 2019. I have been raising this issue since then.”

Eshalomi has been working with councils and housing associations across England to convert thousands of empty or derelict properties into functional homes to tackle rough sleeping.

Ultimately, she emphasized that the solution lies in “building those homes,” ensuring sufficient social and affordable housing so residents need not choose between financial hardship and living in private rentals.

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