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Ending rough sleeping: what needs to happen next
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Ending rough sleeping: what needs to happen next

Ending rough sleeping: what needs to happen next

Friday, September 11, 2026

Duncan Shrubsole, CEO of St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, recently attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ending Homelessness in Parliament.

Following the meeting, Duncan shared his reflections on the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping, and what will be needed to turn this commitment into lasting change.

This article reproduces a post originally published by Duncan on LinkedIn.

Was good to join Parliamentarians and colleagues from across the homelessness sector in Parliament on Monday for the APPG on Ending Homelessness. Good to hear from the new Minister Florence Eshalomi on her determination to take forward the Prime Minister's commitment to end rough sleeping, as well as from Crisis, IPPR North, lived experience and those who had worked with Andy Burnham in Manchester.

Drawing on our experience St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity I raised how to make the most of this historic political leadership and opportunity we need to ensure that:

  1. "Everyone In" and an offer of a place off the streets genuinely includes a place for everyone, including those with no recourse to public funds, women and those with more complex needs who may have had offers before which they didn't take or didn't work because they didn't meet where they were at;
  2. Getting someone in is just the start - we need to engage and build relationships with people who have slept rough whilst inside, to build trust and confidence and work with them to put in place what they need for the future. Our colleagues The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields have great experience of doing this through their intensive engagement hub.
  3. It's what happens next that matters most - how do we ensure at the individual level we give people the longer-term accommodation and support they need to help them genuinely move away from and stay off the streets? And how do we use this opportunity to genuinely tackle and solve the longer-term systemic issues that cause rough sleeping and homelessness in the first place - including lack of affordable accommodation, public services that discharge and don't link up, local housing allowance that is out of line with rent levels and a lack of a long-term funding framework for services, including to recruit, retain and support the skilled and experienced frontline staff that are so vital to success.

Ending rough sleeping will require a cross-society effort including the public sector, business, housing associations, councils, charities and more. But government has the vital role to play in leading and in the policy and funding framework it sets - in the forthcoming Budget there is the opportunity for it to make a down payment on this commitment, including through committing to reviewing LHA and linking it back to actual rents.

"Everyone In" during Covid made huge progress but that then slipped back and rough sleeping returned and rose again. We now have a second opportunity to try again to genuinely tackle and end rough sleeping. We will not get a third chance - let's rise to and seize this moment and get it right now!

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