England records 8,748 rough sleepers as Burnham’s homelessness pledge to support everyone by Christmas faces jeopardy

A pledge under pressure

Burnham made tackling rough sleeping a central commitment when he became prime minister on 20 July. He said his first instruction would be to end rough sleeping in the country.

The following month, he announced £442m in increased funding for what he called a “national drive to get everyone in for Christmas”. His broader pledge was to offer each rough sleeper a safe route off the streets or other support.

Beds and housing shortages

The minister said people could choose whether to accept a bed and that they could not be forced off the streets. She added that a route off the street might not necessarily involve housing.

Pressures behind homelessness

Eshalomi has previously called the freeze of local housing allowance a systemic barrier and a major sticking point in efforts to reduce homelessness. Asked if she raised the issue with ministers before John Healey’s budget last month, she said she had been raising it since becoming an MP in 2019.