Burnham is to double rough sleeping funding to £874m, roughly £190,000 for every person counted on the streets
Andy Burnham plans to double rough sleeping funding to £874m — about £190,000 per person among roughly 4,000 counted on the streets on a single night this year.
'What on earth? We could buy them all houses,' Nick Ferrari told Cabinet Office Minister Sally Jameson after working out the per-head cost. Jameson cited a snapshot of about 4,000 rough sleepers on one night this year. She insisted the money covers mental health, addiction and tenancy support, not just beds. Shadow minister Katie Lam accused Burnham of squandering cash on 'empty promises'.
Chancellor John Healey will confirm the extra £432m in Wednesday's Budget.
Burnham promised to end Greater Manchester rough sleeping by 2020, but numbers rose again.
A study found foreign nationals make up half of London's rough sleepers.
