Andy Burnham, in his first address as Prime Minister, has pledged to "finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity." Standing at Downing Street, Burnham declared, "This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to." He promised immediate action, bringing together national and local government with the necessary investment.
However, official data indicates that rough sleeping in Greater Manchester more than doubled during Burnham's final four years as mayor. The number of rough sleepers in the region rose to 197 in 2025 from 89 in 2021. The 2025 figures represented the second highest since Burnham was elected mayor in 2017, despite a downward trend until 2021. Burnham had previously vowed in his 2017 mayoral manifesto to end rough sleeping by 2020.
Additional figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show approximately 360 rough sleepers in March 2026 across the 10 local authorities making up Greater Manchester, an increase from 335 in March 2025. According to the housing charity Shelter, Manchester has the third-highest rate of homelessness in England, with one in 74 residents lacking permanent housing.
Critics have questioned Burnham's new pledge. Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly stated, "Burnham must come clean on what other MHCLG programmes have been salami-sliced to fill the gap." He added that Burnham "failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary" in Manchester and is now making pledges without a delivery plan.
Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative Party, previously criticized Burnham's record as Greater Manchester mayor, asserting that it "doesn’t stand up to scrutiny." Hollinrake also pointed to Manchester City Council's failure to deliver on its promise of 10,000 affordable homes, with only 791 built. He also highlighted a reported over £100 million expenditure on a canceled 'clean air zone.'
Burnham visited the homeless charity The Passage in London shortly before his address, calling it "the best place to start" his premiership. He referenced the success of the pandemic-era 'Everyone In' scheme and the city's 'A Bed Every Night' initiative, emphasizing the need for collective action.
Daniel Parnell, a homeless individual in Manchester, expressed his disappointment, stating, "Burnham has done nothing for me." He questioned the allocation of funds, asking why some money wasn't spent on social housing for the city's homeless.