Prince William launches new UK homelessness initiative

Britain's Prince William on Monday unveiled a new UK-wide initiative aiming to show that "homelessness can be ended for good" through collaboration between public, private and voluntary sectors.

William, 41, the heir to the throne, and his charitable Royal Foundation will help give six flagship locations across Britain "space, tools, and relationships" to work on preventing homelessness locally.

Announcing the five-year program, called Homewards, in Lambeth, south London -- one of the six places selected -- the prince said it will "put collaboration at the heart of the response".

"I believe that we have a unique opportunity to develop innovative new solutions and scale tangible impact," he told an audience at a community center offering mental health support.

"This will inspire belief throughout the UK -- and beyond -- that homelessness can be ended for good.

Promising a "transformative approach" to the issue, William said the initiative will rely on "locally led coalitions of committed people, organizations and businesses".

He hopes it will ultimately make homelessness "rare, brief, and unrepeated" in the targeted areas, which can then serve as models for the rest of the UK.

The initiative will provide access to an unprecedented network of "best-in-class expertise, partners and funders at a local and national level", his Kensington Palace office said.

That includes up to £500,000 ($635,000) of flexible seed funding in each location that can be accessed to support the delivery of their action plans, it added.

William, who noted he first visited a homeless shelter aged 11 with his late mother, Princess Diana, launched the scheme alongside new research suggesting that one in five people in Britain have some experience of homelessness.

The prince is doing a two-day nationwide tour to the six places chosen, announcing their locations as he goes.

But Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, argued William and other "super-rich royals who live in multiple palatial homes" reflect worsening UK economic inequality that drives most homelessness.

"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 said.



AFP