Burnham’s Pledge to End Rough Sleeping Faces Challenge as Outreach Teams Report Rising Homelessness

“Frontline homelessness workers welcomed new government funding but said lasting progress will depend on sustained investment in housing, health and support services.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to eliminate rough sleeping in England has been welcomed by homelessness organisations, although frontline outreach workers and charities caution that achieving the goal will require sustained coordination across housing, healthcare and social support services as rough sleeping continues to rise.

In his first major policy commitment after taking office, Burnham announced an additional £340 million in funding aimed at eradicating rough sleeping in England. The pledge places homelessness at the centre of the government’s domestic policy agenda and revives a target previously set by earlier administrations.

The announcement comes as official figures show rough sleeping has reached 4,793 people, the highest recorded level in England, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing local authorities and support organisations.

Outreach workers operating in south London say they are witnessing increasing numbers of people sleeping outdoors, reflecting a broader rise in housing insecurity driven by a range of social and economic factors.

During a late-night patrol in Twickenham, staff from Spear, a homelessness charity serving south London, identified a recently established encampment concealed among bushes on the edge of a public park. The site contained sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses and personal belongings, indicating that several people had begun sleeping there within the previous two days.

Peter Bancroft, Operations Manager at Spear, said outreach teams have observed an increase in rough sleeping involving people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

According to Bancroft, those encountered include individuals experiencing complex mental health conditions and substance dependency, alongside people who have become homeless following relationship breakdowns, unemployment or an inability to meet rising rental costs.

Each evening, outreach workers respond to referrals concerning newly identified rough sleepers while maintaining contact with individuals already known to homelessness services. Their work regularly takes them through parks, cemeteries, shop entrances, residential areas and vehicle parking sites where people are reported to be sleeping in tents, cars or makeshift shelters.

Support offered during these visits typically includes drinking water, access to mobile phones, referrals for housing assessments and connections to local authority accommodation services. Outreach workers say responses vary, with some individuals accepting assistance while others decline offers of support.

During one recent shift, Spear staff encountered two people living in a temporary tent within a cemetery. According to the charity, both individuals had previously been provided with emergency accommodation by the local council, but the placement was withdrawn after it was not used.

Bancroft said experiences such as these demonstrate that homelessness cannot be addressed solely through emergency accommodation. He argued that successful interventions depend upon coordinated work involving housing providers, healthcare professionals, mental health services, addiction treatment programmes and local authorities.

Homelessness charities broadly welcomed Burnham’s funding commitment while noting that previous governments have also announced similar ambitions.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to end rough sleeping during his time in office, while his successor, Keir Starmer, committed to reducing long-term rough sleeping by half. Despite those commitments, official figures have continued to show rising numbers of people sleeping outdoors.

Charities therefore argue that long-term success will depend not only on additional financial resources but also on the consistent delivery of services addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.

Many people encountered by outreach organisations experience multiple challenges simultaneously, including insecure housing, financial hardship, physical illness, mental health conditions and substance dependency. Support providers say addressing those issues requires sustained engagement rather than short-term interventions alone.

The additional funding announced by the government is intended to strengthen local homelessness services and expand support available to people sleeping rough. Details regarding implementation, allocation and delivery mechanisms are expected to determine how effectively local authorities and charities can expand existing programmes.

As outreach teams continue responding to new referrals each night, organisations working directly with people experiencing homelessness say meaningful reductions in rough sleeping will depend on maintaining long-term partnerships between government, councils, charities and healthcare providers alongside increased access to stable and affordable housing.