A new initiative by London Mayor Sadiq Khan will see up to 500 empty homes refurbished and made available to people at immediate risk of sleeping rough, as part of a renewed push to eradicate street homelessness in the capital by 2030.
Backed by £17 million in Government funding, the refurbished properties will expand the Mayor’s Homes off the Streets programme, offering a sustainable, housing-led pathway out of homelessness.
The move is a central pillar of Khan’s new Plan of Action on Rough Sleeping, launched this week at City Hall.
The investment marks the largest expansion to date of the capital’s Clearing House scheme, which has already helped 13,000 people off the streets through long-term social housing and support services.
HOUSING CRISES
The 500 homes, currently standing empty, will be refurbished and ringfenced for Londoners facing immediate housing crises.
Khan (main picture) says: “The best way to end rough sleeping is to stop it before it starts. That’s why we’re putting prevention at the heart of our response.
“By bringing hundreds of homes back into use and making them available to those most in need, we can offer not just shelter, but dignity and hope.”
The refurbished homes will complement a new network of Ending Homelessness Hubs across the capital, which aim to provide rapid, 24/7 support to individuals before they reach a crisis point.
These hubs will work alongside a new homelessness prevention phoneline and outreach teams embedded in community settings such as food banks and day centres.
ROUGH SLEEPING SURGE
Khan’s latest announcement comes amid stark figures highlighting the scale of London’s homelessness crisis. An estimated 183,000 Londoners are currently homeless, including one in every 21 children living in temporary accommodation. Rough sleeping has surged by 58% over the past decade.
Since taking office in 2016, Khan has increased City Hall’s rough sleeping budget fivefold, rising to £44.8 million in 2025/26. Around 18,000 people have already been helped off the streets by mayoral services, with three-quarters remaining in stable accommodation.
The Mayor’s plan has been welcomed by homelessness charities and local authorities alike.
Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, called the 500-home refurbishment programme a “tangible step forward,” adding that “a housing-first approach is the most effective way to end rough sleeping for good.”
City Hall says the newly refurbished homes could be ready within two years, offering a lifeline to hundreds of Londoners on the brink.
