29/10/2026
Following yesterday’s Budget announcement, our Chief Executive, Sarah, shares her thoughts on the Government’s investment in tackling rough sleeping and how we can build on this to ensure people have the ongoing support they need to live independently...
"Getting people off the streets by Christmas is the start, not the finish.
The Government has now committed £874 million to tackle rough sleeping, bringing together an initial £442 million package and a further £432 million announced in the Budget.
This is a notable investment, and I am genuinely pleased to see such significant funding being directed towards tackling rough sleeping. Every person helped off the streets and into safe, secure accommodation matters.
But with just eight weeks until Christmas, I have some important questions.
Homelessness, particularly rough sleeping, does not exist in isolation. Behind every person sleeping on our streets, there may be a complex combination of mental health challenges, relationship breakdown, trauma, addiction, financial hardship and a lack of suitable, affordable housing.
Getting someone off the streets is an urgent priority. But moving someone indoors is not the same as ending their homelessness. Without the right support around them, the issues that contributed to their homelessness may remain unresolved.
Finding someone a bed is vital. Helping them rebuild their life takes time, trust, specialist support and sustained investment.
So, how will this funding be distributed? Will it reach frontline services quickly enough to make a difference this winter? Will the organisations with the relationships, experience and expertise to support people experiencing homelessness be able to access it in time?
And how will we measure success? By the number of people offered a route off the streets before Christmas, or by the number of people supported to remain safely housed in the months and years that follow?
My concern is not the ambition. It is how effectively this money can be distributed and put to work in such a short space of time, and whether it will deliver lasting change beyond the present crisis.
Short-term funding alone cannot solve long-term challenges.
Across the homelessness sector, grassroots organisations work day in, day out alongside people who are trying to get their lives back on track. They build relationships, navigate complex systems, support people through setbacks and celebrate progress that cannot always be measured in quick wins.
This work takes time. It requires skilled, compassionate people, strong partnerships, and services that support not just the immediate emergency, but the difficult road that follows.
Applying for government funding can also be an arduous process; believe me, I know. It takes time, capacity and expertise, with no guarantee of success.
For smaller charities already stretched by demand, managing complex funding applications takes time and capacity away from the very work they exist to do. And with no assured outcome, there is a real risk that organisations with the expertise and established relationships to support people are unable to access the funding they need.
If we are serious about ending rough sleeping, we need to think beyond Christmas.
We need sustained investment in grassroots organisations such as Shiloh Rotherham, the charity I lead. We need simpler, more accessible funding processes; joined-up support that addresses the underlying causes of homelessness; and a commitment to measuring lasting outcomes, not just immediate numbers.
Let's absolutely get people off the streets this Christmas. But let's also invest in what happens on 26 December, in January, and throughout the year ahead.
Because success isn't simply about no one being seen sleeping rough. It's about making sure everyone has a safe place to call home, and the opportunity to live independently with a good quality of life.
P.S. We’ve noticed an increase in the number of people newly sleeping rough in Rotherham in recent weeks. We’re working with people every day to provide support and help them move towards a safer, more stable situation."
