Burnham Pledges National End to Rough Sleeping as Prime Minister
New Premier commits to tackling homelessness across the UK, drawing on past initiatives and facing scrutiny over previous targets.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity in his first speech as Prime Minister.
Manchester holds the third highest rate of homelessness in the country, trailing only Birmingham and London.
The new Prime Minister allocated an additional £340 million over three years to tackle homelessness; the housing department's budget provides these funds from unused parts.
Sir James Cleverly stated Burnham must clarify which other MHCLG programmes have been reduced to fund this initiative.
During his mayoral tenure, Burnham consistently donated 15 per cent of his salary to the 'A Bed Every Night' project, a local initiative providing shelter.
He visited The Passage at St Vincent's Centre in Victoria before assuming office, engaging directly with homelessness support services.
This strategic shift follows a historical context revealing a fluctuating landscape; tent encampments, eradicated during the Gordon Brown years, have reemerged in city centres.
The reemergence of these encampments affects public perception of Britain and presents a moral and ethical problem.
The reemergence of these encampments affects public perception of Britain and presents a moral and ethical problem.
The current national figure for rough sleeping in England stands at 4,793 individuals.
Beyond the national figures, Manchester also faces a significant refugee rough sleeping crisis, attributed to Britain's asylum system, adding another layer of complexity to the issue.
The policy known as Housing First provides rough sleepers with a permanent, independent home without preconditions; this model gains traction among stakeholders.
Seventy-eight CEOs and senior leaders of homelessness organisations wrote to Mr Burnham, urging the government to adopt a national Housing First philosophy.
The Vagrancy Act, which criminalized rough sleeping, has been scrapped, marking a significant shift in legislative approach.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Burnham's previous combined authority took a robust approach to begging, frequently using the now-scrapped Vagrancy Act to arrest individuals.
Kevin Hollinrake stated Burnham failed to deliver on his promise to end rough sleeping, despite increasing council tax to fund related projects.
Burnham failed to deliver on his promise to end rough sleeping, despite increasing council tax to fund related projects.
Hollinrake also claimed Burnham spent over £100 million on a cancelled 'clean air zone', wasting local taxpayers’ money.
Public sentiment among some individuals reflects criticism; Daniel Parnell stated Burnham has done nothing for him and has been unfair on housing.
During his mayoral tenure, Manchester City Council delivered 791 affordable homes, falling short of a promise to build 10,000.
The future implications of this pledge will unfold against the backdrop of England's Housing Benefit bill, which costs £36 billion annually, with projections indicating further increases.
James Purnell, Burnham’s Chief of Staff, is personally involved in the policy development, signalling a direct, high-level commitment to the initiative.