Churches are being invited to a summit with the Prime Minister, to discuss their role in ending homelessness. 

Andy Burnham will bring together faith groups, charities, health services and businesses in the Autumn, as part of a national drive to get all rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas. 

Ending rough sleeping was Burnham’s first pledge when entering office last month, having begun his first day as Prime Minister by visiting a Catholic-founded homelessness charity in Westminster. 

Downing Street has described “charities, faith groups and community organisations” as being “at the heart of efforts to end homelessness”.

An extra £8.4m is being pledged to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, which has already supported more than 100 projects by small and medium sized organisations with £47m in the past three years. 

A total package of £442m will provide emergency accommodation and practical support, following the approaches taken during the pandemic with the Everyone In campaign. The Conservatives believe the plan lacks detail for delivery. 

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, told Premier Christian News that churches were already leading the way in multi-agency approaches to tackle rough sleeping in her constituency. 

She said: “It is not right that people are sleeping on our streets. We're meant to be an advanced country and it doesn't demonstrate that if people don’t have any shelter. It's a basic human right.”

Maskell highlighted the Salvation Army’s night-time accommodation project, NAPpads, as an “incredible first-step” for rough sleepers, providing shelter and wash facilities for those who may find traditional hostel accommodation challenging. 

Churches have also stepped up to support people “holistically”, she said, with the Methodist-backed Carecent providing breakfast and social space; the New Ways Wellbeing Centre offering boxing sessions to “build resilience, particularly of young homeless people”; as well as churches hosting foodbanks in their buildings. 

Speaking on how churches can support efforts in their communities, the MP added: “Being able to put our towns, our cities before God is so important, and to seek his guidance in what those solutions are. But most of all, he's put us in these places as well. 

“We can offer our time, our support, sometimes our resources to be able to support initiatives locally to really help people out of homelessness and into housing. We know that churches have very much been at the forefront of that, so I'd say open your hands and see where it takes you.”