Rough sleeping plan promises ‘everyone in for Christmas’ this winter

A sweeping new plan to get rough sleepers off England’s streets and into housing before Christmas has been unveiled by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, drawing direct comparisons to the landmark “Everyone In” scheme that sheltered thousands of homeless people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The initiative, announced this week, aims to ensure that anyone sleeping rough is offered emergency accommodation and a pathway into permanent housing. Burnham said the moral case was simple: nobody should be spending the coldest months of the year on the streets when there are alternatives available.

What the plan actually involves

The scheme builds on lessons from the 2020 “Everyone In” programme, which moved around 37,000 vulnerable people into hotels and temporary housing within weeks as the pandemic hit. That effort was widely praised — but critics long argued it was abandoned too quickly, with many people cycling back onto the streets once restrictions lifted.

This time, officials say the focus is on sustained support rather than a quick fix. The plan includes dedicated key workers assigned to individuals, mental health and addiction services bundled alongside housing offers, and a commitment to longer-term tenancy support. Rough sleepers won’t just be handed a room and left to manage alone.

The scale of the problem

The numbers are stark. Latest government figures show that on any single night in autumn 2023, around 3,898 people were sleeping rough across England — a 27% rise from the year before. In Greater Manchester alone, street counts have recorded over 100 people bedding down outside on any given night, though outreach workers say the real figure is significantly higher.

Winter consistently proves deadly. Exposure, respiratory illness and the dangers that come with sleeping in doorways and under bridges kill dozens of people every year who might otherwise have survived with a roof over their heads.

A spokesperson for the initiative said: “We’ve proven before that when the political will is there, we can move fast and we can save lives. That’s exactly what this is about — not waiting, not making excuses, just getting it done before the temperature drops.”

Scepticism and support

Not everyone is convinced. Housing charities have welcomed the ambition but warned that without serious long-term funding — not one-off emergency cash — the results will be temporary at best. And there’s a familiar concern that once the headlines fade, so does the political attention.

Still, advocates say something is better than nothing, and the framing of this as a pre-Christmas deadline gives it a defined urgency that past schemes have lacked.

What happens next

Local councils across the region are expected to be briefed on their responsibilities within the coming days. Burnham’s office has indicated that the scheme could serve as a template for other English cities if it demonstrates early results. Whether it actually reaches everyone who needs it — and keeps them housed come spring — is the question that will define its legacy.