London's Mayor commits to eradicating homelessness, contingent upon a specific stipulation
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Unveils Plans to End Rough Sleeping by 2030
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced ambitious plans to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030, backed by a significant budget increase and policy changes aimed at early intervention and support access. This comes as the latest rough sleeping figures for October to December 2023 show 4,389 people sleeping rough on the streets of London, a stark increase from 2,561 in 2016.
Khan's plans involve a £44.8 million rough sleeping budget for 2025-26, a fivefold increase since 2016, and £17 million secured from the government in capital funding for this purpose. A key policy shift under Khan is removing the requirement for people to be seen actively sleeping on the streets before qualifying for support, enabling earlier help for those at risk of rough sleeping.
However, the target to end rough sleeping by 2030 is currently "nowhere near on track", according to recent data. Khan himself does not expect a reduction in rough sleeping numbers before 2026, indicating a challenging path ahead.
In terms of housing supply, Khan is facing criticism for falling short of affordable housing targets by over 12,000 homes with the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme. He has recently consulted on the next London Plan that may involve changes such as possibly redrawing the Green Belt to unlock land for 1 million new homes over the next decade, which aligns with Labour government ambitions following a £39 billion, 10-year Affordable Homes Programme announced in mid-2025, with about 30% going to London.
John Glenton, executive director of care and support at Riverside, has expressed support for Khan's pledge to end rough sleeping, describing the growing number of people sleeping rough as a humanitarian crisis. Glenton also agrees with Khan's plan to strengthen relationships with boroughs, charities, and businesses to address rough sleeping.
Susan Hall, Conservative mayoral candidate, has expressed skepticism about Khan's pledge to end rough sleeping in London by 2030.
Khan believes that welfare benefits changes made by the current government have contributed to the increase in rough sleeping, and he blames the delay in banning no-fault evictions as one of the root causes of homelessness. To address this, Khan plans to create more rough sleeping hubs and strengthen relationships between boroughs, businesses, and charities.
An image of Chan Lee is associated with the article.
Summary:
| Aspect | Sadiq Khan’s Plans as Mayor | Labour Government Alignment | |--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Rough Sleeping End Target | End rough sleeping by 2030 | Supports with capital funding (£17m) and national strategies | | Budget for Rough Sleeping | £44.8m in 2025-26 (fivefold since 2016) | £39bn over 10 years for affordable housing, 30% to London | | Policy Changes | Remove need to be seen rough sleeping to get help | Prevention focus, affordable housing investment | | Housing Supply | Short by 12,000 affordable homes; proposing Green Belt review | National affordable homes programme aligns with supply targets | | Current Progress | Rough sleeping increased 26% in year to mid-2025, target off track | National policies ongoing; shared challenge to meet targets |
This shows Khan’s homelessness plans, particularly to tackle rough sleeping, are ambitious and backed by increased funding and policy reforms but face significant challenges on the ground. His strategies align closely with a possible Labour government's broader housing and homelessness priorities, focusing especially on funding, prevention, and affordable housing growth, aiming for coordinated action up to 2030.
- In an effort to strengthen London's health-and-wellness landscape, Sadiq Khan's plans to end rough sleeping by 2030 are closely connected to the general-news topic of housing supply and affordability.
- In the realm of politics, Khan's robust strategies for addressing homelessness are gaining traction, aligning with the Labour government's 10-year, £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme and setting a precedent for collaborative solutions in science and society.
