Today, Andy Burnham takes office as the new Prime Minister of the UK, having听secured support听from听the majority of听his fellow听Labour听MPs.听His pledge to issue his first instruction in office on ending rough sleeping in Britain is a strong and welcome signal of intent, and we hope it marks the beginning of sustained, cross-government action.听
While it is only day one for Andy Burnham, it is day 222 of the听, a once in a generation strategy听with ambitions set to be realised by 2030.听
With over 76,000 households in England assessed as homeless or at risk of homelessness, and听nearly 4,800听people estimated to be sleeping rough, there is significant work to do, requiring robust social,听strategic听and legislative change.听听
Already in 2026, we have seen the introduction of the Renters鈥� Rights Act and the repeal of the Vagrancy Act, both of which are positive steps to addressing the causes of homelessness.听听
We are pleased to see the new Prime Minister advocate for the adoption of a 鈥渘ational Housing First philosophy鈥� to address record levels of homelessness across the country, and a commitment to build more council housing. Housing First is rooted in the principle that everyone has the right to a safe, stable home, with the right support in place to help them move on from homelessness for good. At 麻豆传媒鈥檚, we have seen first-hand how this approach can help people sustain tenancies and provide the foundation for long-term recovery.听
On the launch of the National Plan to End Homelessness, Burnham also called for a coordinated response to the systemic issues, including a greater focus on prevention, and addressing health inequality and employment support through integrated services.听听
But more needs to be done, and we hope that the new Prime Minister 鈥� with his experience of coordinating The Greater Manchester Homelessness Prevention Strategy, and the city鈥檚 鈥淎 Bed Every Night鈥澨齪rogramme听– will maintain the momentum听required, and听commit to implementing further measures for meaningful policy change.听
As always, we want to work collaboratively with the government, sharing our clients鈥� voices and experiences, as well as best practice from our dedicated frontline teams and specialist services.听听
We urge the new Prime Minister and his cabinet to take bold and decisive action in tackling homelessness, and to work with organisations on the frontline to ensure that lived experience is at the heart of effective and听long term听change.听听
Photograph 漏 House of Commons/UK Parliament