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Andy Burnham launches plans to offer all rough sleepers a bed this winter

Plans will be rolled out in England later this year

[Prime Minister Andy Burnham ]

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Image: Kin Cheung/PA Wire)

Andy Burnham has announced that ending rough sleeping will be his 'moral mission' as he launches a national drive to offer of a bed to everyone on the streets this winter.

The new Prime Minister said the scheme will "get everyone in for Christmas " with emergency accommodation and help being rolled out throughout the country later this year. The support - which will be backed by 442million - will see areas with the greatest receive the largest share, Downing Street have said.

Mr Burnham will also convene a "first of its kind" national summit in the autumn months on ending rough sleeping, officials added. They said it would bring together leaders from business, finance, health and faith communities to ask how they can all play a role, the Mirror reports.

Writing for The Mirror, the Prime Minister said: "Ending rough sleeping is a moral mission for me. It always has been. Growing up, I could see the effects of deindustrialisation on our streets. I saw what happened when good jobs disappeared and hollowed out communities were left to pick up the pieces.

"And I learned early on that when things go wrong for a friend, a neighbour or even a stranger - in fact, especially a stranger - you don't just turn your back on them. You stick out your hand, you dust them off, and you help them get on."

Mr Burnham pledged in his first speech as Prime Minister outside No10 last month that he would end the blight of rough sleeping across Britain. He told the country at the time: "I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country."

No10 said the commitment today is backed by an additional 102million - on top of the 340million Mr Burnham announced during his first week in office. It will be funded through uncommitted budgets at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, officials added.

In a statement, Mr Burnham said: "No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we've seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.

"I won't accept it. That's why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it's why today we're getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas. We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again."

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner added: "When the Prime Minister pledged to end rough sleeping, we said we'd move urgently from words to action. Today we're delivering on that promise. This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.

"Working alongside councils, mayors and charities, we're backing local areas to tackle rough sleeping at its roots, giving people the security, dignity and opportunity they deserve, and restoring hope to those who have been let down for far too long."

Official figures earlier this year showed a record number of people slept rough on the streets of England in 2025. In total there were 4,793 rough sleepers in autumn 2025 - a 3% hike on the previous year - according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

The record high also represents a 171% increase on 2010 when the snapshot figures approach was first introduced and the Tories won power. Almost half - 43% - of those sleeping rough according last year's snapshot on a single night in autumn were in London and the South East, data adds.

Whilst rough sleeping figures did come down during Mr Burnham's tenure as Greater Manchester's mayor, they began rising steadily again in line with the national picture. When asked about the figures last month, the new PM referred to Manchester's 'A Bed Every Night' scheme, which aims to provide beds and support for anyone sleeping rough or a risk of sleeping rough in the region.

He added: "We were the only place that was doing it and you won't be able to get the numbers down if you're the only place, and other cities, people are coming to Manchester.

"So it taught me that the only way is to do this together. Everybody pulling in the same direction, Everyone In, as we did in the pandemic - because we did bring people inside in the pandemic and that's what I'm saying as I go into Government today."

Housing charity Shelter described the announcement to get everyone off the streets by Christmas as a "game-changing move and exactly the kind of bold leadership needed to end the housing emergency".

Chief executive Sarah Elliot added: "It's reassuring plans for emergency support are backed up by a commitment to deliver over 1000 settled homes to get people off the streets for good. People who have spent years surviving day to day will finally have a safe home where they can build a life and look forward to the future.

"Tackling the most visible form of homelessness is a strong start, but the almost 178,000 children hidden away in grim temporary accommodation also need somewhere to call home. The Prime Minister must apply the same unwavering ambition to delivering the council housing revolution he promised."

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