The success of Andy Burnham’s rough sleeping pledge can’t be judged on Christmas Day. Here’s why

For the first time in a long time, we have a prime minister making clear that rough sleeping is a moral tragedy that should have no place in modern Britain, and that a home is a basic necessity.  

The prime minister’s commitment to offer everyone rough sleeping a route off the streets by Christmas is welcome, but success cannot simply be measured by whether an offer is made. As I heard in discussions with homelessness minister Florence Eshalomi at Labour Party Conference, the government is rightly thinking beyond Christmas and recognising the importance of prevention and long-term support. The real test will be whether people are able to leave the streets and homelessness behind for good. 

For almost 60 years, St Mungo’s outreach teams have been supporting people sleeping rough with varying needs and life experiences. This can include women fleeing domestic abuse, who find themselves on the streets because they cannot access safe accommodation, or people who have been forced to leave their home because they can no longer afford their rent. Trauma, poor health and a distrust of services can make it harder to get help, turning one night on the streets into months, or even years, of rough sleeping. 

We have seen a heartbreaking increase in the number of people living on the streets of London for long periods. The most recent annual statistics from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) showed that out of 13,000 people sleeping rough in London, one in four – that’s over 3,000 people – are considered to be sleeping rough long-term. People trapped on the streets for months or years face some of the greatest barriers to leaving homelessness behind and need sustained, tailored support to rebuild their lives. 

Read more:

• Andy Burnham visits Big Issue-backed homelessness charity in bid to end rough sleeping
• Andy Burnham to donate 15% of PM’s salary to homelessness fight: ‘I want to lead from the front’
• More than 1,700 people died while homeless in 2025. It’s a ‘national scandal’

Outreach that makes a difference

The offer away from the streets is predominantly made by outreach teams like ours at St Mungo’s, who often have the first engagement with people sleeping rough. What outreach teams are doing is about more than bringing people inside: it’s about listening, building trust and working alongside people to overcome barriers and find a safe, sustainable route off the streets that meets their needs.  

First thing in the morning and last thing at night, St Mungo’s outreach teams use different forms of engagement to meet people where they are. Women may keep moving at night to stay safe or stay in unsafe accommodation just to be away from the danger of the streets for instance, making them less visible to support services and requiring a different, more proactive outreach response. 

When thinking about Andy Burnham’s route of the streets ambition by Christmas, we need to remember that people who have been rough sleeping for long periods might not always accept an offer of support immediately. That might be due to the complexities in need they’re facing or the lack of trust in services that have failed them before, often several times. We know that people who have been forced to sleep rough need a tailored approach; one which doesn’t judge their behaviour and understands why people might be distrustful of accepting support. Any new offer needs to understand what has gone before, so we avoid reinventing the wheel. Building trust can sometimes be a process spanning many months and years. 

Over time, we do see barriers begin to come down, but giving it time is crucial, so we would be wise not to judge success – or failure – by the number of people who will inevitably still be rough sleeping on Christmas Day.  

For example, the St Mungo’s Pan London Navigators Team has been supporting over 200 individuals who have been sleeping rough for long periods, often with intense trauma. Navigators might spend years just keeping in touch with someone on the pavement, before the moment when the person might be ready to ask for help. 

But support alone cannot overcome a severe shortage of genuinely affordable homes. We need housing available at every stage of someone’s journey, whether through supported housing, Housing First, social housing or a viable and affordable route into the private rented sector, backed by long-term funding and joined-up housing, health and social care. The prime minister’s ambition to create a national care service could be transformational here for those experiencing homelessness.  

No one-size-fits-all solution

Everyone experiencing homelessness has their own life experiences. Delivering this plan will require tailored support and housing, not just until Christmas, but for as long as people need it.

Success cannot be measured by whether an offer was made, but by whether that offer and everything that follows supports people to leave the streets and homelessness for good, not least those with long histories of rough sleeping who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to ending their homelessness. 

Emma Haddad is CEO at St Mungo’s

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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