Sunita Somvanshi
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new plan to provide accommodation to everyone sleeping rough by Christmas. The initiative is backed by £442 million in government funding allocated for emergency housing during the winter months across England.
Burnham unveiled the plan on Wednesday, calling it a national drive to ensure that no one is forced to sleep on the streets. “I will not abandon anyone to sleep rough on our streets,” Burnham said in describing his £442 million commitment to the programme.
Under the plan, every rough sleeper in England will be offered accommodation during the winter months. The government is using the £442 million specifically to fund emergency housing for this purpose. Anyone currently sleeping rough will be able to access shelter.
The approach is modeled on the “Everyone In” scheme that was used during the first Covid-19 lockdown. That emergency programme moved homeless people into hotels and other temporary housing during the pandemic. The new plan applies similar methods to the current challenge of rough sleeping on the streets.
Rough sleeping has been a long-standing problem in England for many years. Previous governments have set targets aimed at ending street homelessness, but many of these targets have not been achieved. The problem has continued to persist despite several attempts by policymakers to address it.
The announcement comes as the government also deals with broader cost-of-living pressures that are affecting families across the country. The administration is managing both the rough sleeper initiative and wider economic challenges facing households.
The plan allocates £442 million for emergency accommodation for rough sleepers during winter. Accommodation will be offered to all people currently sleeping rough on England’s streets. This follows previous government efforts that were aimed at ending rough sleeping.
