Prince Williams, who is 41 years old, is leading a new campaign called Homewards. It is a five-year project that will focus on six areas of the UK,
including one part of London. After the five years, William hopes to widen the
project to the whole of the country.
This week he will visit the six locations. He will meet people who have experienced homelessness, as well as local and national organizations that will help him. He will also meet advocates who are spreading the word about the campaign.
Prince William said in a statement, "In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home. Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality. Over the next five years, I want to give people across the UK hope that we can prevent homelessness by working together."
His commitment is
influenced by his experiences with his late mother, Princess Diana.
When Prince
William was 11 years old, he visited The Passage shelter with his brother,
Prince Harry, and their mother. That first visit to The Passage shelter
inspired his work.
There are 300,000 homeless people in the UK every night. In London, the number of "rough sleepers" increased by 20 per cent in the past year.
Prince William also wants to change people's perception of homelessness, which can also involve situations like sofa-surfing or staying in a friend's spare room for extended periods of time.
More than 3,000 adults in the UK answered questions for an opinion survey and the conclusions are
- 85% think homelessness is a very or fairly serious problem
- 72% think homelessness has got worse in the past year
- 73% think ending homelessness is not given enough attention
- 22% have had a personal experience of homelessness, whether themselves, family or friends
Republic is a British pressure group that wants
the monarchy to be replaced with an elected head of state. Graham Smith, its CEO, criticized
the plans: “Homelessness is the result of government policy and lack of
investment, it isn’t something that can be resolved by charity or royal
patronage.”
He highlighted the prince’s three homes, adding “Homelessness is also,
in part, the result of economic inequality, something represented by the
super-rich royals who live in multiple palatial homes.”
In a newspaper interview the reporter asked Prince William “Are there
any plans to use part of the land you inherited to build affordable housing?”
Prince William replied “There is. Absolutely. Social housing. You’ll see
that when it’s ready.”
You can also watch the video by clicking HERE
Article adapted from The Independent and People
