Chancellor John Healey used last Wednesday's Budget (28 October) to confirm extra money for the government's national rough sleeping programme, keeping the pledge to offer every rough sleeper in England a route off the streets this winter running until the end of this Parliament.

Downing Street announced the extra £432 million on 25 October, ahead of the first Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street, and said it would take total investment behind the commitment to £874 million, roughly double the original £442 million. In his Budget speech, Mr Healey described it as "a further £430m to keep that offer open for the rest of this Parliament". A written ministerial statement from Housing Secretary Angela Rayner says the new money covers 2027/28 and 2028/29.

What Greater Manchester has been given so far

From the original £442 million, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) was allocated £16,955,174 over three years, according to the North West allocations reported by the Manchester Evening News. GMCA says an initial £6.1 million is meant to make sure an offer of accommodation and support is in place for everyone who needs it by Christmas, and £10.85 million in later years will help councils and partners take on more properties for longer-term housing.

How much of the new money will come to Greater Manchester has not been published. The government says funding allocations and guidance will be "confirmed in due course".

Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig said: "As Mayor I'm determined to make sure everyone has safe and secure accommodation this winter," adding that the region would use its A Bed Every Night scheme to reach more people.

The Greater Manchester background

Prime Minister Andy Burnham set up A Bed Every Night as Mayor of Greater Manchester, and the BBC reports it now provides more than 600 beds a night. Government figures cited by the BBC show 268 people sleeping rough across Greater Manchester in 2017, falling to 125 in 2020 and 90 in 2021, then rising each year to 197 in 2025.

Mr Burnham told ITV's Good Morning Britain that figures rose again because Greater Manchester was the only place offering a bed every night, and that rough sleeping can only be ended if everywhere offers support at the same level. Shadow housing secretary Katie Lam said Mr Burnham was "throwing another £432m at a problem he failed to solve in Greater Manchester".

Housing and homelessness groups have welcomed the focus on rough sleeping, but leaders from 40 organisations signed an open letter calling on the government to restore Local Housing Allowance rates to reflect local rents, which they say would help prevent homelessness in the first place, the BBC reports.

If you are worried about someone sleeping rough, you can contact StreetLink, which passes details to local outreach teams.

Sources: Prime Minister's Office, 25 October 2026; Budget 2026 speech, HM Treasury, 28 October 2026; written ministerial statement HCWS419, 26 October 2026; Greater Manchester Combined Authority; BBC News, 25 October 2026; Manchester Evening News, North West allocations. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.