In an opinion piece for the Guardian, Burnham wrote: “For decades, Westminster has treated rough sleeping like a problem to step around rather than solve. It is a philosophy that took hold in the 1980s and returned with full force during the era of austerity: the idea that rough sleeping is simply a fact of life rather than something government has a responsibility to end.”
“No matter who they are or what they have been through, every person sleeping rough deserves a chance to get back on their feet – and, together, that is exactly what we will give them.”
The prime minister said he wanted to build on the success of Everyone In, a Covid pandemic-era scheme that saw thousands of rough sleepers housed in hotels and temporary accommodation.
About 37,000 people were helped by the scheme following its launch in March 2020. The charity Shelter found that about a quarter of them had found settled accommodation, defined as housing lasting at least six months.
The announcement includes an additional £102m in new funding, bringing Burnham’s total commitment to tackling rough sleeping to £442m since becoming prime minister. The money is said to be “fully funded” within the Ministry of Housing’s budget.
Beyond providing immediate support to get people off the streets, the funding aims to deliver over 1,000 homes over the next three years to provide rough sleepers with permanent accommodation. It will also fund “intensive wraparound support,” typically psychiatric and drug and alcohol services, to help people rebuild their lives.
Burnham said he will convene a special conference in the autumn, inviting businesses, charities, and faith groups to outline how they can help tackle the problem. Councils and mayors will play a leading role in devising local solutions, with areas facing the biggest challenges receiving the most support.
Jasmine Basran, head of policy at Crisis, said the charity welcomed the announcement and believed an end to rough sleeping was possible.
“What we also want to see in the longer term is interventions to prevent people from being forced to sleep rough in the first place,” she said.
She urged departments across government to work together to address the issue, saying too many people discharged from hospital or leaving care were ending up on the streets.
Sarah Elliott, Shelter’s chief executive, called Burnham’s pledge a “game-changing move.”
She said “tackling the most visible form of homelessness is a strong start” but urged the prime minister to act on his promise to build more council houses to help people living in temporary accommodation.
The shadow housing secretary, James Cleverly, said Burnham had promised to end rough sleeping while Manchester mayor “and failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary.”
Cleverly added that families would fear tax rises unless Labour could “come clean on what other programmes they are cutting to pay for this project.”
Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Gideon Amos said: “Sticking plasters won’t fix the homelessness crisis. Without a proper long-term plan, people could simply find themselves back on the streets once the festive headlines fade.”
He urged Burnham to commit to a Lib Dem target to build 150,000 social homes every year.
Deputy Reform UK leader Richard Tice also criticised Burnham’s record on homelessness while Manchester mayor, and described the government’s new plans as “yet another vague announcement with no substance which uses our most vulnerable for political point-scoring.”