27 Oct 2026
The government has announced an extra £432 million to tackle rough sleeping in England. As support expands, rural communities must be included, alongside action to prevent people losing their homes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants everyone sleeping rough to be offered a route off the streets or wider support before Christmas.
The additional funding, to be detailed in Wednesday’s Budget, will bring total investment behind the programme to £874 million. It will extend support beyond March 2027 to the end of this Parliament.
Housing associations will also work with the National Housing Federation to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bedspaces, including empty properties that could be brought back into use.
The Hidden Picture In Rural Communities
Homelessness in the countryside can be difficult to see. People may be sleeping in vehicles, tents, woodland or farm buildings, away from places where outreach teams would usually look.
Others may be moving between friends’ and relatives’ homes, with nowhere settled to live. Having somewhere to stay for a few nights does not mean someone has a secure home.
The 2023 report Homelessness in the Countryside: A Hidden Crisis, was commissioned by a Rural Homelessness Task Force which brought together experts from organisations including the Rural Services Network. The research was carried out by the Universities of Kent and Southampton. It found that reliance on family, friends and community goodwill can keep people out of sight of homelessness services.
Limited transport, long distances and a shortage of nearby services can also make getting help harder. Some people face leaving their community and support networks to access accommodation elsewhere.
Reaching rural communities therefore means looking beyond visible rough sleeping and ensuring support reaches people whose housing situation is insecure.
Why Local Housing Allowance Matters
Preventing homelessness must also be central to the response.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) sets the maximum rent that can be covered by housing support for many private tenants receiving Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. The amount depends on the area and the household’s bedroom entitlement, with other benefit rules affecting what people receive.
When LHA falls behind rents, tenants must cover the difference themselves. This can mean using money needed for food, heating and other essentials, increasing the risk of debt and rent arrears.
The Resolution Foundation reported on 21 October that LHA rates were last adjusted in April 2024, using 2023 rent levels.
It estimated that the gap between LHA and rents at the lower end of the market had reached around £170 a month for a typical family renting a two-bedroom home.
The Foundation is calling for LHA to be linked annually to the 30th percentile of local rents, the rent level marking the cheapest 30% of the market. This would allow support to respond to changing rental costs.
Closing that gap would help households sustain their tenancies and could reduce the risk of homelessness. In rural areas, where alternative affordable homes can be scarce, keeping an existing home is particularly important.
The extra rough sleeping funding offers an opportunity to provide immediate help. Lasting progress will also require housing support that reflects local rents, more affordable rural homes and services that reach people before they lose their accommodation.
