Andy Burnham, in one of his initial acts as Prime Minister, has committed to eradicating rough sleeping throughout the UK. Making a resolute statement outside No10, the new leader of the Labour party affirmed his intention to tackle the issue head-on by announcing his first directive to eliminate rough sleeping nationwide.
The Prime Minister’s residence, Downing Street, characterized rough sleeping as one of the most profound injustices in the country and subsequently disclosed a substantial £340 million funding injection to assist at least 3,000 rough sleepers.
Prior to his inaugural Prime Ministerial address, Mr. Burnham visited The Passage, a homelessness charity in Victoria, London. Notably, The Passage holds the Prince of Wales as its royal patron, with Prince William’s initial visit dating back to 1993 alongside Princess Diana.
During his visit, Mr. Burnham referenced the successful “Everyone In” scheme implemented during the Covid crisis, which aided numerous rough sleepers across England through emergency government funding. Reflecting on his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, Mr. Burnham acknowledged the challenges faced and stressed the importance of collective effort in addressing rough sleeping nationwide.
The latest government data underscores the significant challenge facing the new Prime Minister in fulfilling his commitment. Figures 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 notable 171% surge since 2010.
Nearly half of all rough sleepers on a single autumn night were concentrated in London and the South East, comprising 43% of the total. Mr. Burnham also joined charity workers from The Passage on their daily outreach to rough sleepers in the Victoria area, demonstrating hands-on support for the cause.
Praising Mr. Burnham’s immediate focus on ending rough sleeping, Big Issue founder Lord John Bird commended the Prime Minister’s clear priorities. Additionally, the Chief Executive of housing charity Crisis lauded Mr. Burnham’s commitment to addressing homelessness promptly, emphasizing the urgent need to eliminate rough sleeping across the country.