Burnham’s Christmas Promise to End Rough Sleeping: A Welcome but Imperfect Solution

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to put every rough sleeper in England under a roof by Christmas, marking a significant shift in how policymakers view those sleeping on the streets. This commitment is not new; it was made when Burnham entered Downing Street in July. However, the scope and ambition behind this latest initiative are more substantial than anything attempted before.

The £442m package, complemented by an additional £102m in new funding, represents a significant investment aimed at ending rough sleeping once and for all. This is a welcome change from the government’s previous lackadaisical approach to homelessness. The scale of the problem is daunting – with an estimated 4,793 people sleeping rough on any given night in England as of last autumn, representing a staggering 96% increase in five years.

Burnham’s plan involves providing immediate support to get people off the streets and into temporary accommodation. This move builds on the success of the Everyone In scheme implemented during the Covid pandemic, which housed thousands of rough sleepers in hotels and temporary accommodation. The fact that about 37,000 people were helped by this initiative, with a quarter finding settled accommodation lasting at least six months, serves as a model for what can be achieved through targeted support.

However, critics have raised concerns about how the plan will be paid for and delivered. James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, noted there was “little detail” provided on these matters. Burnham has assured that the funding is fully covered within the Ministry of Housing’s budget, but the lack of transparency regarding implementation details raises valid questions.

Ending rough sleeping requires more than just providing temporary solutions or permanent accommodation; it also demands addressing the underlying causes of homelessness. Chloe, a 27-year-old from London who has experienced homelessness firsthand, pointed out that “things like hidden homelessness have been normalised…People usually end up coming back to homelessness for mental health or financial reasons.” Meron, another rough sleeper interviewed, echoed this sentiment, citing difficulties finding employment and the high cost of living in central London.

Burnham’s initiative will undoubtedly be welcomed by those on the streets who are eager for a secure home. However, the success of this plan hinges not just on its scale but also on its ability to tackle these deeper issues. It is here that Burnham’s pledge becomes both promising and imperfect – promising because it signals a shift in policy approach, imperfect because it does not fully address the systemic causes of homelessness.

Burnham has pledged to convene a special conference in the autumn, inviting business, charities, and faith groups to outline their contributions. This is a crucial step towards building a broader coalition that can tackle homelessness comprehensively. But what Burnham’s government must do next is more than just convening meetings; it needs to demonstrate its commitment to long-term solutions by implementing policies that address the root causes of homelessness.

The road ahead will not be easy, and critics are right to demand transparency about how the plan will be executed. Yet, for now, Andy Burnham’s Christmas promise represents a necessary step towards changing the way policymakers view those sleeping on the streets – as individuals deserving of support rather than just statistics in a report.

As the festive season approaches, one can only hope that this renewed commitment to ending rough sleeping marks a genuine turning point in how we address homelessness. The challenge now is for Burnham’s government to live up to its promise and deliver more than just a sticking plaster solution – one that tackles not just the symptoms but also the fundamental causes of this complex issue.