ROUGH sleeping has risen by 94 per cent since the pandemic, according to a new report published today.

Now the Centre for Social Justice is calling on the Labour government to fulfil its manifesto pledge to get Britain back on track by rolling out the Housing First policy across England.

The strategy offers unconditional permanent housing as quickly as possible to homeless people with other support afterward.

The think tank said that English councils spent £2.3 billion on temporary accommodation last year — a crisis pushing already overstretched local authorities to the point of bankruptcy.

Its warning follows the Chancellor’s commitment during the recent Spending Review to protect homelessness spending. An extra £233 million was announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget, bringing total homelessness funding to nearly £1bn for this financial year.

The centre said this gives the government’s housing ministry a unique opportunity to ensure that this money is spent on interventions that are proven to work.

Pointing to successful pilots in Liverpool, Manchester and the West Midlands, the CSJ said: “Housing First has been shown to be the most effective and well-evidenced intervention to end homelessness for Britain’s most disadvantaged and entrenched rough sleepers.”

Introducing the policy nationally could take 5,571 people off the streets by 2029–30, the CSJ said — more than a 10th of the current rough sleeping population.

For every £1 invested, up to £2 is returned to the taxpayer and society through savings to the NHS, homelessness outreach, temporary accommodation and the criminal justice system, it said.

The think tank estimates that implementing a national Housing First programme would cost £103m over four years.

The ministry was approached for comment.