CIH welcomes extra £432million to tackle rough sleeping

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has welcomed the government’s commitment of a further £432million to end rough sleeping, and called for wider action on the root causes of homelessness, including reinstating the link between Local Housing Allowance and market rents.

The Prime Minister has said he is confident that everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the street or to wider support before Christmas. This will be backed by a further £432million to continue support after this winter. 

The new funding will be set out in the Budget on Wednesday. It will extend support beyond March 2027 and to the end of this Parliament, bringing the total investment behind the Prime Minister’s commitment to £874m. 

Stephanie Morphew, CIH policy lead on homelessness, said: "Ending rough sleeping requires both immediate support for those in crisis and action to address the underlying causes of homelessness. This additional funding is a positive step that will help ensure more people can access the accommodation and support they need.

“We welcome this additional £432million to extend the programme beyond the winter. Strategic authorities and local authorities must be empowered to direct this funding to the housing providers and homelessness charities best equipped to ensure the funding makes a long-term impact on people’s lives. We stand ready to work with the sector and the government on this push to end rough sleeping for good.

“While rough sleeping is the most visible expression of the housing crisis, homelessness cannot be fully addressed without whole system change. Reinstating the link between Local Housing Allowance rates and market rents would help people keep hold of their homes, reduce the risk of homelessness and ease pressure on homelessness services.”