PM pledges support for all of London's rough sleepers this Christmas with £432m boost

Andy Burnham has vowed that every rough sleeper will be offered a route off the streets before Christmas, unveiling a further £432 million to tackle homelessness and support frontline services. The funding boost, due to be confirmed in Wednesday's Budget, will take total government investment in the programme to £874 million and extend support until the end of the current Parliament. The announcement comes as rough sleeping remains a visible challenge in parts of London, particularly in central areas including Westminster, Camden and the West End, despite years of efforts by charities, councils and City Hall to reduce the numbers sleeping outdoors.

Ministers say the money will help sustain outreach teams, emergency accommodation and longer-term housing support beyond this winter, with new provision already being rolled out in places including Camden. The Prime Minister will also host what Downing Street describes as the first-ever Rough Sleeping Summit on Monday, bringing together charities, businesses, housing associations and local leaders in an effort to mobilise support behind the Government's homelessness strategy.

Under the plans, housing associations will identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bed spaces for people moving off the streets, including empty properties that could be brought back into use. A number of major organisations are also pledging support. Virgin Media O2 will provide digital connectivity for vulnerable people, while beauty giant L'Oréal is partnering with homelessness charity St Mungo's and Haircuts4Homeless on a new "Social Salon" initiative aimed at supporting rough sleepers' wellbeing.

Other commitments include employment programmes, social housing projects and charitable funding designed to help people stay housed once they leave emergency accommodation. The Prime Minister said rough sleeping was "not a fact of life" and insisted the Government would not accept people sleeping on the streets as inevitable. He said: "We're doubling funding so that people aren't just offered a safe route off the streets this winter but have that same support right through the rest of this Parliament too."

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner described the commitment as "a big ambition" but said ministers would not back away from ensuring everyone had the offer of support before Christmas. The announcement marks the latest stage of the Government's attempt to address homelessness after years of pressure on housing services and rising demand for temporary accommodation. While charities have broadly welcomed additional investment, the scale of the challenge remains significant, particularly in London, where housing costs and shortages of affordable accommodation continue to be key drivers of homelessness.