Andy Burnham urges councils to house homeless veterans before Christmas

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will personally write to local councils on Armistice Day to urge them to draw up plans to prevent veterans from sleeping rough this Christmas, BBC News and ITVX reported. In a statement issued on Saturday, Burnham stated that people who were prepared to put their lives on the line should never lack a roof over their head, BBC News reported. He added that when ex-service personnel need help, the country owes them a bed every night, a proper plan, and someone in their corner from day one. [1][2][3]

BBC News reported that Downing Street announced an additional 8.7 million pounds in funding would be allocated for the effort. Burnham will ask local authorities to use part of an additional 874 million pounds already announced to tackle homelessness specifically to house veterans. The prime minister will also ask councils to work alongside local organisations and charities to tackle homelessness among ex-service personnel. [1]

A veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the armed forces. Burnham has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party since July 2026, having previously served as the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026. [4][6]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Burnham made ending rough sleeping his first pledge after taking office in July 2026. The government previously announced plans to add hundreds of millions of pounds to homelessness funding in the Budget to provide shelter for rough sleepers by Christmas. [7]