Seven issues it’s good to learn about plans to halve tough sleeping

The Government has unveiled a major new homeless strategy, backed by £3.5billion in funding to tackle the number of people forced to live rough on the streets or in temporary accommodation

What you need to know about the Government’s homeless strategy

• Ministers have pledged to halve the number of people forced to sleep on the streets and end the scandal of families being trapped in B&Bs. It comes as part of a major new homeless strategy, backed by £3.5billion in funding.

• The National Plan to End Homelessness has three key pledges to be achieved by the end of this parliament – to halve the number of long-term rough sleepers, end the unlawful use of B&Bs for families and prevent more households from becoming homeless in the first place.

• Ministers hope to halve the number of ex-prisoners who become homeless on their first night out of jail, as well as ensuring that no eligible person is put back on the street after a hospital stay. The Government says this can be especially severe at Christmas, with many children in temporary accommodation.

• The plan includes a pledge to to end the unlawful use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families. The most recent figures showed there were 2,070 households in England with children at the end of June in this kind of temporary accommodation for longer than the six week limit.

• The strategy comes as housing charity Shelter said its research showed 382,618 people in England – including 175,025 children – will spend this Christmas without a home. The total was 8% up on the 2024 number of 354,016 people.

• £37 million of funding will go towards supporting and improving services from the voluntary, community and faith sectors. Local authorities will be boosted by £950 million to support the supply of good-quality temporary homes while £30 million will go towards preventing poor quality emergency accommodation being used.

• Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Homelessness is one of the most profound challenges we face as a society, because at the heart, it’s about people. Families deserve stability, children need a safe place to grow, and individuals simply want the dignity of a home.”