Prince William, heir to the British Crown, on Monday launched a program aimed at ending the UK’s problem of homelessness.
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“My first visit to a homeless shelter was with my mum when I was 11,” said the Prince of Wales on Monday while visiting a club in the London Borough of Lambeth. “I’ve met so many amazing people and heard so many heartbreaking stories,” he continued. “Too many people do not have stable and permanent housing.”
The five-year project, titled Homewards, aims to show that ending homelessness is possible, according to a statement from Prince William, 41, and his wife Kate’s Royal Foundation.
The project aims to use local partners – individuals, organisations, companies – working together to create a tailor-made local plan based on local needs and local expertise.
“It’s a daunting task, but I truly believe that by working together, it is possible to ensure homelessness is rare, temporary and non-recurring,” the eldest son said in a statement from King Charles.
This is a major new project for the Prince of Wales, who launched the Earthshot Awards back in 2020, created to recognize innovation for the benefit of the environment at a time when the monarchy, which has recently been rocked by several scandals , seems particularly keen to demonstrate its usefulness to British society.
William, who will travel to the six venues on Monday and Tuesday, began with a visit to London’s Mosaic Clubhouse, which supports people with mental illness, to show that “the link between poor mental health and homelessness can be severed “.
One of the axes of the project aims to develop housing on a large scale. The idea then is to create a model that can be replicated elsewhere in the UK as well as abroad.
According to the Royal Foundation statement, there are more than 300,000 people in the UK, half of them minors, surfing the couch, sleeping on the street, living in their cars, hotels or other temporary accommodation.
Before the start of the programme, William spoke to Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer and Equality Secretary Michael Gove, according to the BBC, which stressed that the program is likely to draw criticism from him as it is not intended to meddle in politics.
Graham Smith, the director of the anti-monarchy group Republic, criticized the “hypocritical” plan of William, “a man who has three big houses and a huge estate given to him by the state”.
“The problem of homelessness is the result of government policies and a lack of investment. It cannot be resolved through charity or royal patronage,” he said in a press release.