Exeter MP calls on PM to tackle ‘root cause’ of homelessness in city
The MP for Exeter has called on the Prime Minister to help tackle the root causes of homelessness in the city as Government data shows Exeter has one of the highest rates of rough sleeping outside London.
Exeter’s MP has called on the Prime Minister to help tackle the “root cause” of homelessness in the city, as Government data shows Exeter has one of the highest rates of rough sleeping of local authorities outside London.
Steve Race, MP for Exeter, attended a rough sleeping summit at Downing Street on Monday, October 26, where he applauded Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to get every rough sleeper off the streets by Christmas.
Mr Race has said he also recognises, however, that “it’s not just a roof over their head that [rough sleepers] need” and that more support is required to get people back on their feet for good.
According to data from the Government’s rough sleeper count, Exeter had the second highest rate of rough sleeping of any local authority outside of London in 2025, at a rate of 36.8 rough sleepers per 100,000 people.
Hastings, in the South East, had an average 2025 rate of 40.6.
The latest data, from January to June 2026, puts Exeter’s average rate of rough sleeping at 35.8 per 100,000 people, making the city the ninth worst authority outside of London for rough sleeping this year.
The only local authority in the South West with a higher rate of rough sleeping so far in 2026 is Gloucester, with 42.1.
At the summit on Monday, the Prime Minister announced an additional investment of £432 million to his initial pledge to get every rough sleeper off the streets by Christmas.
This takes his total investment towards ending rough sleeping to £874 million.
“I’m very grateful that the Prime Minister has set a high bar of getting everyone in by Christmas - and is allocating significant funding to help Exeter City Council and our local organisations to help us achieve that here in our city,” said Mr Race.
“I’m pleased that this funding has now been extended to the end of this parliament.
“Anyone working with people sleeping rough will know that it’s not just a roof over their head that they need – it can also require wraparound support for trauma and addiction.
“The previous Conservative Government dismantled this network of support, but I know that the Prime Minister is committed to addressing the complex reasons why people find themselves homeless.
“Working together, we can deal with these root-causes of rough sleeping and give people the opportunities they need to get back on their feet.”