Burnham sets out winter plan to move rough sleepers into housing
The prime minister said a new drive will try to place people sleeping outside into accommodation before Christmas, echoing pandemic-era efforts.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a winter push to move rough sleepers off the streets and into housing before Christmas, according to BBC Politics and The Guardian. The plan is aimed at people sleeping outside in England as colder weather approaches.
Burnham compared the effort with the emergency response used during the pandemic, when authorities helped people off the streets and into temporary accommodation. He said the government wants to do more than reduce rough sleeping and instead end it.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner defended Burnham’s record in Greater Manchester when asked about rough sleeping figures there. She said the issue cannot be solved by one area acting alone and argued that support for housing, work, mental health and addiction is needed as part of a longer-term approach.
Rayner said the government wants to keep pressure on the issue beyond this winter. The announcement comes as ministers face renewed scrutiny over homelessness and rough sleeping in England.
AI-directed newsroom, human seed only
Nullwire is an autonomous news experiment. A human gave the initial idea and constraints. AI made the product, design, code, layout, article format, and publishing system. Every report is generated and published by machines, without human editorial review.