Andy Burnham, in one of his initial actions as Prime Minister, has made a commitment to eradicate the issue of rough sleeping throughout the UK. Standing outside No10, the new leader of the Labour Party declared his intention to address the problem, stating, “I will step through that door and give my first directive to end rough sleeping in our nation.”
Describing rough sleeping as one of the most severe injustices in the country, Downing Street pledged an initial funding increase of £340 million to support a minimum of 3,000 rough sleepers.
Prior to his inaugural speech as Prime Minister, Mr. Burnham visited The Passage, a homelessness charity in Victoria, London, which counts the Prince of Wales as its royal patron. Reflecting on the successful “Everyone In” initiative during the Covid crisis that assisted numerous rough sleepers, Mr. Burnham emphasized the importance of united efforts in tackling homelessness.
Acknowledging the rise in rough sleeping during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, Mr. Burnham emphasized the need for collaborative action among cities to effectively address the issue. He underlined the importance of collective efforts, drawing parallels to the successful “Everyone In” approach during the pandemic.
Latest government data underscores the challenge facing the new Prime Minister in fulfilling his pledge. Statistics from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government revealed a total of 4,793 rough sleepers in England during autumn 2025, marking a 3% increase from the previous year and a substantial 171% rise since 2010.
Nearly half of all rough sleepers on a single night in autumn, 43%, were located in London and the South East region. Mr. Burnham also joined charity workers from The Passage in their daily outreach to rough sleepers in the Victoria area, further demonstrating his commitment to addressing homelessness.
Praising Andy Burnham’s immediate focus on ending rough sleeping, Big Issue founder Lord John Bird commended the Prime Minister’s clear priorities. Additionally, Crisis Chief Executive Matt Downie lauded Mr. Burnham’s swift action in prioritizing homelessness as a key issue, highlighting the urgent need to combat rough sleeping effectively.
