24 Aug 2026
A new national drive will aim to offer everyone sleeping rough in England a route off the streets by Christmas, backed by a £442 million package of accommodation and support.
The commitment, announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, will see new emergency provision rolled out this winter alongside practical support addressing housing, health and other needs. The package includes £102 million of additional funding, building on £340 million announced in July for longer-term accommodation.
More than 1,000 settled homes are expected to be delivered over the next three years, with intensive support to help people rebuild their lives and avoid returning to the streets. A further £8.4 million will go to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, supporting smaller and medium-sized organisations working with people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
The announcement also recognises that women sleeping rough are frequently missing from official statistics and may face particular risks of violence, abuse and exploitation. New guidance encourages local areas to consider women-only accommodation and specialist, trauma-informed support.
Making Sure Homelessness Is Seen
The Rural Services Network welcomes the ambition to bring people in from the cold and the recognition that lasting change requires more than emergency accommodation alone.
However, homelessness does not always look the same in rural communities. It can be less visible, support services are spread across larger geographical areas, and limited public transport can make them difficult to reach.
The Government says communities across England will receive support, with the greatest funding directed towards areas facing the most significant pressures. It will be important that the measures used to identify those pressures capture rural homelessness accurately, rather than relying too heavily on visible street counts or headline figures that may mask small numbers dispersed across wide areas.
As highlighted in RSN’s Delivering for All campaign, a national approach to homelessness must include solutions designed around the distinct circumstances of rural communities. Everyone deserves access to a safe and secure home, wherever they live.
The Prime Minister will also convene a national summit this autumn, bringing together councils, charities, businesses, health services, faith groups and other organisations to consider the part each can play in ending rough sleeping. We look forward to hearing more about the summit and will report on the outcomes for rural communities.
