£168.3m pledged to house London rough sleepers by Christmas

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged £168.3 million to reduce rough sleeping in London by Christmas, with Barnet-based charity Homeless Action in Barnet set to receive £330,997. The funding forms part of a £442 million national programme aimed at providing emergency accommodation and support services for rough sleepers across England.

The announcement follows figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) showing 3,959 people slept rough in London between April and June 2026. This marks a 10% decline from the same period in 2025, when 4,392 were recorded. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed areas with the most acute homelessness pressures will receive the largest share of the funding.

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Barnet allocation and local response

Homeless Action in Barnet, which operates across the borough, is one of 24 London charities named in the funding list. The £330,997 grant will support its work providing shelter, meals and advocacy for rough sleepers. The charity has not yet confirmed how the funds will be deployed, but the government has stated that local organisations will decide what assistance is required in their areas.

Barnet Council has not issued a public statement on the funding announcement. The MHCLG has said mayors and local authorities will collaborate to drive the initiative, though no specific timeline has been set for how long individuals will be accommodated. The government has acknowledged that not all rough sleepers may choose to accept the offer of housing.

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National context and next steps

The £168.3 million London allocation is part of a broader £442 million programme announced by the government this week. The funding will cover emergency accommodation, housing support and health services. An additional £102 million, drawn from uncommitted MHCLG budgets, will fund immediate pathways off the streets this winter, including an £8.4 million boost to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.

Burnham has also announced a national summit this autumn to bring together leaders from business, charities, faith groups and local government. The summit aims to determine how each sector can contribute to ending rough sleeping. The Prime Minister said, "No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we've seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it."

I won't accept it. That's why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it's why today we're getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.

Andy Burnham, Prime Minister

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the government is moving "urgently from words to action" and that the funding will help thousands leave the streets. She added that the programme will address the root causes of rough sleeping, though no target deadline has been set for ending it entirely.

What happens next

Local authorities and charities will begin distributing the funds in the coming weeks, with the government expecting to see rough sleepers accommodated by Christmas. The MHCLG has stated that guidance will prioritise support for female rough sleepers, who are often underrepresented in official figures. Single-sex accommodation with trauma-informed support will be encouraged for victims of domestic abuse.

The national summit is scheduled for autumn 2026, though no specific date has been announced. Residents can contact Homeless Action in Barnet directly for information on local services. The charity’s contact details are available on its website.