Britain’s Prince William’s Homewards project is a significant initiative aimed at addressing UK’s housing crisis and eliminating homelessness. The project involves collaborating with local communities and businesses to address this pressing issue.
Inspired by his late mother, Princess Diana, the Prince of Wales considers tackling homelessness a personal and lifelong mission. This endeavor marks his first major project since his father, King Charles III, assumed the throne.
During the launch event of Prince William’s Homewards campaign in South London, he introduced the initiative as a transformative five-year program that demonstrates the possibility of eradicating homelessness.
The initiative, established under the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation, draws inspiration from a successful project in Finland. In Finland, individuals in need of housing are provided with permanent accommodation before addressing other challenges they may face, such as substance abuse and unemployment.
The Finnish project was particularly successful in addressing long-term homelessness and mental health challenges. Prince William has long been involved in advocating for those struggling with homelessness, dating back to his visits to homeless shelters with his mother when he was just 11 years old. These experiences left a profound impact on him.
As part of Prince William’s Homewards project, the London borough of Lambeth has been selected as one of six locations. Bayo Dosunmu, the Chief Executive of Lambeth Council, understands the challenges associated with homelessness firsthand. Dosunmu cites an example of a mother who arrived at their shelter with two children.
Due to insufficient funds, she couldn’t afford after-school activities for her children, which ultimately led to their homelessness. The Homewards project aims to identify such situations before families become homeless. Early intervention is deemed crucial, especially amidst rising inflation and energy prices in Britain, which have raised concerns about an increase in homelessness this year.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, an advocate for Prince William’s Homewards project, emphasizes the significance of local-level focus through collaboration with existing grassroots organizations. The initiative provides flexible funding and brings together various entities working to combat homelessness.
Sixteen private sector partners, primarily charitable organizations across the UK, released a joint statement acknowledging the unfortunate reality that more than 300,000 people in the country are estimated to be experiencing homelessness, with nearly half of them being children. The statement stresses the need for extensive collaboration and support from all sectors of society, emphasizing the crucial role of the involvement that sees Prince William end homelessness.
Cohen-Hatton, currently Britain’s highest-ranking female firefighter and a renowned author, shares her personal connection to the cause. At the age of 15, she found herself homeless due to her father’s passing and her mother’s severe mental health issues. Recounting her experiences, Cohen-Hatton recalls the dehumanization she faced and the physical abuse she endured.
Her own journey led her to become a firefighter, aiming to assist others in ways she hadn’t been helped. Through her career, she was able to pursue education, earning a degree, a master’s degree, and seven honorary PhDs. Cohen-Hatton highlights the difficulty of overcoming the stigma associated with homelessness and emphasizes that nobody chooses to be homeless.
She hopes Prince William’s homelessness project addresses these mental health challenges that come with homelessness. Despite his privileged background, Prince William acknowledges that he may seem an unlikely advocate for the cause.
Nevertheless, he is determined to make a difference through the UK’s Homewards initiative. He pledges that this project will prove that homelessness and UK’s housing crisis can finally be eliminated in the 21st-century.