London rough sleepers wary of Andy Burnham pledge

Rough sleepers and homelessness charities in London have expressed doubt and cautious support after Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged £340 million to get people off British streets.

Burnham promised on his first day as prime minister to “end rough sleeping,” but did not set a timeline or announce concrete proposals.

Kevin, a 60-year-old Big Issue vendor in central London who said he has been homeless since leaving prison in 2010, called the pledge “meaningless.” He said Burnham had not solved rough sleeping as mayor of Greater Manchester and described poor conditions in hostels he had used.

Government figures put the number of rough sleepers in England at a record 4,793 in 2025. The Institute for Public Policy Research warned earlier this year that the figure could rise by 25 percent by 2030. Shelter estimated total homelessness in England at 382,000 in 2025, including people without a permanent home or secure tenure.

Some charities said the target was possible if it was backed by resources. Mark Palframan, director of Hackney Night Shelter, called Burnham’s goal “a realistic target,” but said money and wider action were key.

Charity workers also pointed to a rise in homeless people who have jobs. Rachel Woolf, chief executive of Street Storage, said many clients were working full time while using the charity to store belongings.

Burnham’s “A Bed Every Night” scheme in Greater Manchester reduced rough sleeping from 268 people in 2017 to 90 in 2021, according to local authorities, but the figure rose again to 197 in 2025.

IPPR researcher Maya Singer Hobbs said the £340 million pledge alone would not solve rough sleeping, although she said ending it was possible. She said building more social housing would be essential and could require billions in upfront investment.