'More money won't solve the problem': charities respond as Greater Manchester gets £17m to end rough sleeping by Christmas

Greater Manchester will receive just under £17 million to tackle homelessness as part of Andy Burnham's pledge to end rough sleeping by Christmas. But charities on the ground warn that money alone will not solve the problem.

Standing in front of Downing Street on July 20, Burnham set out his first instruction as Prime Minister: "I will end rough sleeping in our country. It's about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government."

The £17 million is part of a £340 million national pot that will provide 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 long-term rough sleepers over five years. Greater Manchester's share comes from a £37 million package for the North West.

New mayor Bev Craig said: "No one should be left to sleep rough on our streets and I'm proud that the approach we've pioneered here in Greater Manchester is now going to be rolled out to other regions."

Has Greater Manchester been here before?

Yes. When Burnham campaigned for mayor in 2017, he vowed to end rough sleeping by 2020. His A Bed Every Night scheme, launched in 2018, initially worked: rough sleeping fell from 268 in 2017 to 90 in 2021. But by 2025, the number had risen back to 197.

So what should the £17 million be spent on?

Pauline Town, a pub landlady in Ashton-under-Lyne who hands out around 100 packed lunches a day from The Station, said: "Instead of everybody is going to be in by Christmas, maybe it should be, everybody has an offer."

She pointed to the housing crisis: "In Ashton now you're looking at at least £950 plus. If one landlord puts the price up they all do. There's not enough social housing and private tenancy is pricing people out."

She sees "a lot of single men whose relationships have broken down. They're not seen as a priority as they don't have children or health conditions. A lot of people who are out on the streets are there for reasons that could happen to anyone."

Hendrix Lancaster, founder of Coffee4Craig, was blunt: "It's easy to say we need more social housing, temporary accommodation or keep throwing money at a problem, but it's not necessarily going to be the answer."

He called for systemic reform: "They need to tackle systemic issues. Look at reforming the prison service, education. The cycle of addiction." He also criticised the loss of specialist accommodation like wet houses and said the ABEN scheme, while "absolutely fantastic" in essence, was "not consistent. It's hit and miss."

Jo Walby, CEO of Mustard Tree, said: "We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse this crisis through the instruction of the Prime Minister, leadership of the new Greater Manchester Mayor and all working together across sectors."

Anne Rhind, CEO of the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity, said: "One of the most important things we have learned over the past eight years is that a bed is where the support starts, not where it ends."

Will it work?

Burnham has acknowledged that not every rough sleeper will accept accommodation "for their own reasons" and that the millions announced "may not be enough on their own." A national summit is planned for autumn.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives."

For Greater Manchester, the challenge is turning £17 million into something that lasts beyond the announcement.