UK charity helping homelessness with year-round services and Crisis at Christmas
New prime minister Andy Burnham has vowed to end rough sleeping in the UK, backed by 340m in new funding to create 1,200 homes and provide intensive support for at least 3,000 rough sleepers over five years. The programme builds on Covid-era measures and Manchester’s Bed Every Night, as rough sleeping numbers remain at record levels in 2025, with 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single autumn night.
The Conservative plan to bar foreign nationals from social housing has been proposed to free up about 230,000 homes for British families. Critics warn it could breach human rights, drive up homelessness, and face legal challenges, while Labour argues it does nothing to fix the housing emergency and could worsen costs for taxpayers.
Reform UK has unveiled a plan to reform social housing allocation, prioritising British-born workers under 35, married couples with children, and veterans, while promising to evict foreign nationals from social housing. The proposals aim to expand social housebuilding without new taxes or borrowing, drawing criticism from Labour and charities.
The government has set out an initial £10bn from the 10-year SAHP to deliver 70,000 homes outside London, with around 60% for social rent. London funding will follow; the scheme forms part of a wider push to curb homelessness and boost council housing, though critics say it may not meet demand.
The government has pledged a further 432m to back a nationwide plan to end rough sleeping, bringing total investment to 874m. A Downing Street summit is convened with charities and businesses to sustain support beyond winter and to deliver a bed-for-every-rough-sleeper promise by Christmas, amid concerns about local authority funding and service gaps.
A coalition of charities in Scotland and wider UK calls to end the Local Housing Allowance freeze, arguing it worsens homelessness and leaves low-income renters unable to meet housing costs. Politicians in England and Wales are urged to scrap or reassess related measures as homelessness rises and discretionary payments are debated ahead of Budget announcements.