Burnham makes ending rough sleeping his first policy pledge as prime minister
Newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end long-term rough sleeping in the UK as his first policy priority. The government plans to allocate £340 million to provide 1,200 homes and intensive support services for those experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters
This policy represents a significant government intervention into the UK's homelessness crisis, which has seen record-high numbers in recent years.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Andy Burnham during a visit to homeless charity The Passage at St Vincent's Centre in Victoria, London
Andy Burnham has made ending rough sleeping in the country his first policy pledge as the new prime minister.
Making his first speech in Downing Street, Burnham said he wanted the government to be "investing in people's success rather than paying for failure".
The government said an additional £340m would be provided to support the policy, which is expected to provide 1,200 homes and "intensive support" for at least 3,000 people.
When he became Greater Manchester mayor in 2017, Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping in the area by 2020 , external . Figures published in 2025 by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority showed rough sleeping had increased year-on-year, although decreased compared to 2017.
Figure caption, Burnham pressed on ambition to end rough sleeping
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in