Florence Eshalomi named as homelessness minister: ‘I know what a difference a safe home makes’

Florence Eshalomi has been confirmed as the government’s new homelessness minister tasked with helping prime minister Andy Burnham deliver his promise to step up efforts to tackle rough sleeping.

Over the weekend, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that Vauxhall and Camberwell Green MP Eshalomi would take on the role of minister of state for homelessness and rough sleeping.

Eshalomi is the eighth homelessness minister in the space of eight years and takes over from Alison McGovern, who picked up the social care ministerial brief when Burnham took power in July.

“I know what a difference it makes when you have a safe place to live, people around you who care about you, and the chance to plan for the future,” said Eshalomi. “I also know how much harder life can be when you don’t! But when people get the right support at the right time, it can be life changing.

“When I look at the issues I’m working on across housing, communities and local government, I see a common thread. Whether it’s tackling rough sleeping, supporting faith communities or bringing people together across different backgrounds, it comes back to making sure people feel valued and part of something bigger than themselves.”

The new homelessness minister grew up in temporary accommodation herself, living with her mother and two younger sisters in a damp and mouldy house in Brixton, South London, as well as bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation in King’s Cross.

The family were finally able to secure a council home in Brixton after two years of living in temporary accommodation.

Eshalomi has recently been chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, holding government ministers to account for policies and decisions made on homelessness and housing.

Read more:

• Alison McGovern named as new homelessness minister after Rushanara Ali rent scandal
• Homelessness minister ‘shocked’ at number of children in temporary accommodation and B&Bs
• Homelessness minister Alison McGovern: ‘Labour will stop homeless kids growing up in B&Bs’
  

Now the MP is tasked with addressing a homelessness crisis.

“Sadly, Mum’s no longer with us. But I know she’d be so proud that my job now is helping people into a secure home and keeping our democracy strong,” said Eshalomi.

“For me, it says so much that rough sleeping was the first thing the prime minister wanted to tackle coming into Downing Street. It’s a challenge we can and should overcome – the Big Issue has spent decades showing the amazing things that happen when people get a hand up to get back on their feet.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to put down roots and look ahead with confidence. That’s what stronger communities are built on, and it’s what drives me on every day.”

New government statistics revealed last week that 135,580 households, including 177,530 children, now live in temporary accommodation as of March this year. That’s a record-high.

The quarterly figures did show the number of households applying for support to prevent or relieve homelessness in England has started to fall. In particular, the 1,000 families living in B&Bs for longer than the legal limit of six weeks, dropped 16.7%.

But Eshalomi and the wider Labour government must do more to prevent homelessness.

Burnham opened his premiership in July with a pledge to put the country on a path to end rough sleeping.

Eshalomi will be tasked with delivering policies that address the number of people living on the streets.

The government’s own snapshot count found a record-high 4,793 people were counted as sleeping rough across England on a single night in autumn 2025. This figure is widely considered an underestimate.

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