Charities back Prince of Wales over project to end homelessness

Leading homeless charities, who are backing the Prince of Wales’ ambitious Homewards project to end homelessness, have written an open letter calling for a “whole of society response”.

The group – including the chief executives of Centrepoint, Crisis and Big Issue founder Lord Bird – praise William’s initiative which aims to eradicate homelessness in six locations and say there has been positive action, but there is “so much more to do”.

William has set his sights on making rough sleeping, sofa surfing and other forms of temporary accommodation a thing of the past as he tries to emulate Finland, where the problem has been virtually eradicated, with his initiative.

The five-year project will initially focus on six locations where businesses, local authorities and organisations will be encouraged to join forces and develop “bespoke” action plans to tackle homelessness with up to £500,000 in funding.

The charities say in their letter: “As homelessness organisations, we know that to prevent homelessness, we need more and better collaboration and input from across the whole of society. This is a societal issue, and it requires a whole of society response.

“We have seen first-hand what can be done when we put our minds to it. There is so much innovation and progress already being made in parts of the UK. And international examples such as Finland inspire us too. There is so much to build on, but so much more to do.”

On Monday William announced the first three locations – Newport, South Wales, three neighbouring Dorset towns, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, and the south London Borough of Lambeth – where his ambitious initiative will bring together organisations to tackle homelessness.

The prince also visited the three areas, and warned: “It’s the young I’m particularly worried about the sofa surfing and the hidden homeless there’s a lot we don’t see and we have to try and get those who are lost.”

Three further Homewards locations across the UK will be revealed and visited on Tuesday by the future king, who is spearheading the five-year initiative widely seen as a significant part of his life’s work.

The charities said in their open letter: “The challenge is significant and should not be underestimated. But as a sector, we are excited to see how the six Homewards locations will use the space, tools and relationships provided by this programme to unlock solutions that prevent and end homelessness.

“Over the next five years, our hope is that these learnings will be adopted in many other parts of the UK, transforming the homelessness situation here – and beyond.”