ALABARÉ Welcomes New Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s ‘First Instruction’ to Tackle Rough Sleeping
We are welcoming the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, into office and giving our backing to his ‘first instruction’ to end rough sleeping.
ALABARÉ is welcoming the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, into office and giving our backing to his ‘first instruction’ to end rough sleeping.
The incoming Prime Minister also used his inaugural speech outside Downing Street today (Monday, 20 July) to set out plans to ‘build more council homes’ and create a ‘more preventative state’, tackling underlying issues before they become wider societal problems.
This ethos aligns closely with ALABARÉ’s efforts to break the cycle of homelessness by providing homes, restoring hearts, and empowering minds.
Our aim is to provide people who need support with more than just shelter, giving them the knowledge and tools to improve their wellbeing and confidence, access training and employment, and eventually move on to independent, fulfilling lives with autonomy and dignity.
Andy Burnham’s ‘Housing First’ philosophy could also pave the way for ALABARÉ clients to achieve their goals of independent living faster, preventing ‘bed-blocking’ within supported bedspaces when clients are ready to move on, but there isn’t suitable accommodation available.
The Prime Minister’s speech comes as ALABARÉ has joined with more than 75 other organisations and charities across the country to sign an open letter, co-ordinated by Homeless Link, calling for Andy Burnham to scale up the policies that have been successful during his time as Greater Manchester Mayor and roll them out nationally.
The letter states that Housing First could be ‘a seminal moment in our nation’s efforts to turn the tide on shamefully high levels of homelessness’.
We have also been calling for progress on plans announced by the previous Government to invest £39 billion over 10 years into more social and affordable housing, and to ensure the commitments set out in a National Plan to End Homelessness are taken forward.
Andrew Lord, Chief Executive of ALABARÉ, said:
“We look forward to the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, taking his experience in Greater Manchester, where he prioritised homelessness prevention and access to affordable homes, and now implementing this on a national scale.
“Our services work tirelessly to support people experiencing homelessness to find a way to break the cycle and move towards more positive futures. We’d like to see the new Government consulting with an expanded network of frontline organisations like ours to make those plans more robust and achievable, and to make a tangible difference to people’s lives.”
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