Andy Burnham Pledges to End UK Rough Sleeping

Prime Minister Andy Burnham launched a national drive to end long-term rough sleeping during his first speech in office on July 20, 2026, at 10 Downing Street. He committed an initial £340 million in funding—drawn from unused housing department budgets—as the first phase of a five-year program. The initiative aims to provide 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people in England.

Burnham intends to scale local strategies he previously led as Mayor of Greater Manchester, including the "A Bed Every Night" and "Housing First" schemes. The program will be delivered by local mayors and councils in coordination with the NHS and other public services to transition rough sleepers into secure housing.

Political opponents criticized the announcement, with shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly and Reform UK's Robert Jenrick questioning Burnham's record in Manchester. Conversely, Crisis CEO Matt Downie welcomed the shift from managing homelessness to ending it. Following the announcement, advocates in Australia called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to implement a similar "functional zero" target to ensure rough sleeping becomes rare and non-recurring.