Prime Minister Andy Burnham has used World Homeless Day to renew his pledge to end rough sleeping in Britain, saying people should not be left sleeping on the streets in one of the world’s wealthiest countries.

Burnham said his government was backing a national programme with more than £400 million to help people sleeping rough access accommodation and support before Christmas.

Official government guidance confirms the Rough Sleeping Programme is backed by £442 million over three years, including £255.5 million in revenue funding for routes off the street and support, £178 million for settled accommodation and £8.4 million for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.

‘We should never accept rough sleeping as normal’

In a statement marking World Homeless Day on October 10, Burnham said:

“I don’t care what anyone says, I believe we can end rough sleeping in Britain.”

He added that one of his first commitments after becoming prime minister was to end rough sleeping rather than simply manage or reduce it.

Burnham also said he was donating part of his prime ministerial salary to The Passage, a homelessness charity in Victoria which he visited on his first day in Downing Street.

Government aims to offer route off streets this winter

The government’s programme is intended to ensure people sleeping rough are offered accommodation and support before Christmas 2026, while also creating longer-term housing and intensive support for those who have spent extended periods on the streets.

The programme will be delivered through mayoral strategic authorities and local councils, which will decide how best to use the money according to local needs.

Burnham first announced his intention to tackle rough sleeping in his inaugural speech as prime minister in July, saying his first instruction in office would be to work towards ending it.

Rough sleeping remains at high levels

Government figures published earlier this year showed an estimated 8,010 people were sleeping rough across England during December 2025.

Although that represented a fall compared with the previous quarter, it was 7% higher than the same month a year earlier, with long-term rough sleepers making up the largest group.

The government has stressed that the Christmas commitment is about ensuring people have a route away from the streets rather than suggesting homelessness will permanently disappear by a single date.