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New Shelter director Adam Sampson has vowed to rethink the charity's direction and revealed he is still keen on a merger despite the collapse of talks last year.

In his first full interview since taking up his job in January, Sampson, former chief executive of charity the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust, said the charity must "take a fresh look at what we're doing, how we're doing it and what we want to do next".

He said it was too early to be more specific about the charity's future direction.

But with hidden homelessness now a bigger issue than rough sleeping, any new direction might include more campaigning on all forms of temporary housing, harder-hitting campaigns and – bearing in mind Sampson's background lobbying on justice and social care issues – a more holistic approach to housing.

Of last February's failed merger with Crisis, Sampson said: "If the opportunity to reconsider that came up I would certainly be prepared to sit down and talk about it again."

He also acknowledged criticism – such as that levelled by Shelter founder Des Wilson last year – that the charity had lost its edge.

He said it was hardly surprising that some people might view the at 37-year-old charity as "complacent" and "predictable". The successful lobbying for which the charity is known has its downsides, he added: "If you campaign for something for years, then suddenly the government says: 'Alright then, let's get on with it,' then it does leave you feeling: 'What do I do now?'"

Sampson has spent the last few weeks visiting Shelter projects across the country and, as Housing Today went to press, was preparing for his first major public announcement, which will concern the government's latest bed and breakfast figures.

Shelter fears local authorities will fail to reach the government's March 2004 target to stop housing homeless families in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.