Prince William asserts homelessness “can be ended” on project's anniversary

The Prince of Wales will emphasise his belief that homelessness "can be ended" as he commemorates the first anniversary of his ambitious Homewards project.

Prince William will visit the London Borough of Lambeth, where he launched the five-year initiative a year ago, aiming to address all forms of homelessness and change perceptions about rough sleeping by 2024.

The project has established Homewards teams in six UK locations and has already fostered connections and initiated discussions between the public, private, and third sectors that had not occurred before.

In a speech in Lambeth, one of Homewards' six locations, William is expected to say, "It's fantastic to be back in Lambeth, where a year ago we launched Homewards and began our journey of working together to demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness.”

"Homelessness is a complex societal issue and one that touches the lives of far too many people in our society. However, I truly believe that it can be ended."

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, now the chief fire officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, experienced homelessness during her teenage years.

As an official advocate for Homewards, she has been collaborating with the Prince and has witnessed the significant personal impact he has made.

She told Sky News, "One of the powers that the prince has is to bring people round a table, to convene people who wouldn't ordinarily come together, and I've really seen the impact that can have already.”

The Royal Family typically avoids topics that may be perceived as political. However, Mark Downie, chief executive of the homeless charity Crisis and a Homewards sector partner, believes the increasing agreement on homelessness helps prevent any conflict for William.