Addiction a 'major cause for homelessness'

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The number of rough sleepers in the North East has nearly doubled over a two year period according to the latest figures. A recent government survey suggested rough sleeping was rising faster in north-east England than other parts of the country, with 162 people in the region sleeping on the streets on a single night in the autumn of 2025 – up from 124 in 2024. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping, promising more than £300m of extra funding. Brian Jones, chief executive at the Moses Project in Stockton, and Rob Wiley who experienced homelessness before working with Brian at the charity spoke to Paul Addison about how additional government funding might be used.