Rough sleeping funding set to double as No 10 targets a route off the streets by Christmas

On the eve of the first Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street, No 10 signalled that funding for one of the prime minister's opening promises is about to double. When Andy Burnham entered Downing Street in July, he pledged that every rough sleeper in England would have a route off the streets by Christmas, and he backed it with a £442m package for emergency accommodation and practical support.

According to No 10, a further £432m will be added in Wednesday's Budget. The new money would extend support beyond March 2027 to the end of this Parliament, taking total investment to £874m. The summit, held on Monday, brings together businesses, charities and local leaders.

The BBC understands the commitment is that every rough sleeper will be able to physically move into accommodation by Christmas, and/or be offered support aimed at keeping them from sleeping rough. Some people may choose not to accept accommodation, but ministers say support will still be offered to them.

The government says the first tranche of money has already paid for specialist outreach teams and new bed spaces in Coventry. Further provision is due in the coming weeks in places including Plymouth and Camden, in north London. More than 30 organisations, including commercial businesses and charities, have pledged support through new partnerships. The National Housing Federation is working with housing associations to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bed spaces, among them empty properties that could be brought back into use.

Whether that is enough remains unclear. It is not yet known how many of the 2,000 are self-contained units and how many could house several people. The most recent official estimate counted 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England. Government figures show rough sleeping at its highest level since records began in 2010.

Burnham framed the issue as one of choice. "Rough sleeping isn't a fact of life," he said ahead of the summit. "It's a thing governments either choose to accept or don't." He said the doubled funding means people will be offered a safe route off the streets this winter and the same support through the rest of the Parliament, but added that the government cannot do it alone.

Homelessness organisations have welcomed the focus but many want more from the Budget. Leaders from 40 housing and homelessness organisations signed an open letter last week urging the government to restore Local Housing Allowance rates so they track local rents, arguing this would prevent homelessness and reduce reliance on temporary accommodation. The Resolution Foundation estimates more than 1.1 million low-income renters face a shortfall between housing benefit and actual rent, with the gap expected to hit a record high this October. Housing groups say helping those already on the streets is essential, but prevention will decide whether the longer-term ambition succeeds.

The opposition has pointed to Burnham's record as Greater Manchester mayor. Shadow housing secretary Katie Lam said rough sleeping had hit "record highs under Labour" and that Burnham was "throwing another £432m at a problem he failed to solve in Greater Manchester." The figures show a mixed picture. Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping there by 2020. When he was elected in 2017 there were 268 rough sleepers across the region; by 2020 the figure was 125, so he missed the target. It fell to 90 in 2021, then rose each year to reach 197 by 2025. The Bed Every Night scheme he created now provides more than 600 beds a night. Lam also urged Chancellor Healey to use the Budget to cut taxes for working people and control the benefits bill.

The Budget on Wednesday will confirm the money; the Christmas deadline will then test whether the accommodation identified so far can match the number of people on the streets.