UK PM Burnham Aims to House Rough Sleepers by Christmas, Cites Finnish Model

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to provide homes for rough sleepers by Christmas, backed by an additional 100 million pounds in state funding. Burnham criticized past central government approaches, stating in The Guardian that "for decades Westminster [central government] has treated street homelessness as a problem to be bypassed, not solved."

Burnham has adopted Finland's "Housing First" policy as a key inspiration, a model he began implementing during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester to combat homelessness. The core principle is that individuals must first secure housing before receiving other forms of assistance.

Greater Manchester did experience a reduction in street homelessness during Burnham's tenure as mayor, with numbers falling from approximately 270 in 2017 to 90 by 2021, according to BBC data. However, the numbers have since climbed back to around 200, mirroring a national trend, as reported by Manchester Mill.

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for decades Westminster [central government] has treated street homelessness as a problem to be bypassed, not solved

Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, a homelessness researcher, told the BBC that Manchester's initial success was positive and that the subsequent rise in homelessness is largely attributable to national policy decisions. Burnham attributes the ongoing neglect of street homelessness to policies dating back to the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and the austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis.

Burnham's commitment to eradicating street homelessness is a central political goal. He also links this initiative to his broader agenda of redistributing power from London to regions across the country. However, Finland, which Burnham praised, has also seen a recent increase in homelessness after years of decline, with numbers exceeding 4,500 last year.

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Manchester's story is positive, and it is frustrating to constantly hear 'Burnham failed'. He really did not fail. The later increase in homelessness is largely due to national policy decisions