“I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country.”
– Andy Burnham, UK Prime Minister, 20 July 2026.
The bold promise Burnham made on the steps of Downing Street in his first speech as the UK’s new Prime Minister last month is something that many in the sector had only ever dreamt of hearing. A moment of hope within an ongoing crisis that has often felt utterly hopeless. Last week Burnham reinforced that promise with a deadline: “today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.”
The ambition is to offer everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter, with new accommodation and intensive wraparound support. But while Burnham is making funds available to get these plans up and running, he has made it clear that the Government cannot make this happen alone. with the official press release stating that ‘charities, faith groups and community organisations are at the heart of efforts to end homelessness’. [1]
Given that most of the 1000+ people who use our drop-in service our rough sleepers, this is promising news for our Members. We welcome the energy, focus, resources and immediacy that the Prime Minister has brought to this mission. And while we currently don’t know what Burnham’s plans will look like in practice it looks like the 999 Club, along with the rest of the sector, will be instrumental in making Burnham’s words a reality. We look forward to the national summit planned for this autumn, when we’ll likely learn more about how civil society can all work together to finally put an end to rough sleeping.
Since 2010, rough sleeping in London has increased by 225%, with around 13,000 seen rough sleeping in 2024/25 according to CHAIN (Combined Homelessness and Information Network). It’s a travesty that in the fifth-largest economy in the world, rough sleeping has become both endemic and normalised. One of our core 999 Club values is that We Uplift. We therefore celebrate the Prime Minister’s call to “bring back hope”, and look forward to playing our role in this bright future; working in partnership with local authorities, charity colleagues and central government in line with another of our core vales: We Collaborate.
The ambition builds on the lessons of Everyone In, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us that getting people off the streets is only the beginning. Lasting change needs long-term solutions: secure, affordable homes and the right support to help people build stable lives. This is why we also welcome the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver “the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period”.
So, for me, the question is no longer whether we can end rough sleeping. We know we can. The question is whether the Government is prepared to put in the sustained investment, housing and local infrastructure needed to make that change last.
Burnham’s plan is focused on providing wraparound, end-to-end services that are built around the individual. That is the approach we take across 999 Club’s services. We work alongside people holistically, allowing our members to build the stability and confidence needed to leave homelessness behind for good. That could be housing advice and advocacy; employment training; or mental health support.
Whilst rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, many 999 Club members face other forms of insecure housing- living in squats; sofa-surfing; or in short-term hostels. We will know more soon about precisely how Burnham’s plans will be delivered, but I’ll be keen to see that they include effective mechanisms for identifying and providing housing pathways for those in the ‘hidden homelessness’ too, many of whom are women.
Despite the complexities involved in its realisation, the Prime Minister’s ambitious plan represents a welcome challenge to the normalisation of homelessness in the UK. And as a community, 999 Club and our many members and supporters stand ready to carry on our vital work and do everything we can to help make Burnham’s words a reality.
Real change will take time, but last week’s announcement gives us reason for hope. Here in Deptford, however, the reality remains stark. Demand for our services continues to rise, with almost 80 people accessing the Gateway on a single day last week.
If you can help us empower local people in crisis to find a safe home, please donate to our Summer Appeal here and your donation will be doubled.
Thank you,
Charly Richardson
CEO
25 August 2026
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-launches-national-drive-to-get-everyone-in-for-christmas