The UK government has announced a £50 million investment to support councils and organisations tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, focusing on areas and populations under the greatest pressure. The funding is divided across two major programmes aimed at delivering the national target to halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.
The largest portion, a £37 million Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, will strengthen voluntary, community, and faith groups that provide frontline services to people in crisis. This competitive funding will support small and medium-sized organisations in delivering day-to-day prevention and support services, enhancing staffing, infrastructure, and community networks, and promoting trauma-informed approaches to ending rough sleeping.
An additional £15 million will fund the Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme, targeting 28 areas with the highest levels of long-term rough sleeping, including London. The programme will support local authorities and partners in implementing coordinated interventions, such as complex case management, peer mentoring, and stronger service integration, to help people transition off the streets permanently.
The new funding is part of the government’s wider National Plan to End Homelessness, backed by £3.6 billion, which sets three key objectives: halving long-term rough sleeping, ending the unlawful use of B&Bs for families, and preventing more households from becoming homeless. The strategy also aligns with reforms to the private rented sector and large-scale investments in social and affordable housing to ensure secure homes for families and individuals across the country.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed highlighted the importance of supporting frontline organisations, describing homelessness as one of society’s most profound challenges. Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern emphasized the heightened risks during winter and for women affected by domestic abuse, noting that the funding package strengthens services to provide stability and hope. London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the investment, reaffirming the city’s commitment to ending rough sleeping by 2030 in partnership with boroughs and local organisations.
Sector leaders, including Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link, and Bonnie Williams, Chief Executive of Housing Justice, praised the focus on prevention, early intervention, and community-based solutions. They emphasized that the funding will enhance the role of voluntary, community, and faith organisations in delivering personalised, compassionate support that helps people move from crisis to stability, sustain tenancies, and rebuild their lives.
The initiatives also respond to the significant impact of domestic abuse on homelessness, with research showing nearly 70% of women experiencing rough sleeping had suffered domestic abuse. Supporting survivors and preventing homelessness is a key element of the government’s wider commitment to reducing violence against women and girls over the next decade.
The funding builds on broader measures to address systemic causes of homelessness, including ending no-fault evictions, investing £950 million in temporary accommodation, and a £39 billion boost to social and affordable housing. The Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund will run from 2026 to 2029 for organisations with an annual income under £5 million, while the Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme will operate in 28 local areas, creating partnership plans to coordinate support and replicate effective solutions nationally.
Together, these programmes aim to increase prevention rates, target support to those most in need, and ensure no one is discharged from public institutions into homelessness. They represent a key step in the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, with a focus on long-term solutions, coordinated services, and the sustained reduction of rough sleeping across the country.
