13 June 2023 , 15:42
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Prince William has called on everyone to come together and end homelessness, as he opened a new housing programme aimed at helping young people get their lives back on track.
The Prince of Wales today hailed the new youth housing initiative as "inspirational" as he expressed hope that it would "show everyone how we really can end homelessness".
William, 40, patron of Centrepoint, attended the opening of Reuben House, the charity’s development in Peckham, south London, unveiling 33 self-contained flats for young people aged 18 to 24 for whom the rent is capped at a third of their salaries.
The flats are intended to act as a stepping stone, offering residents the chance to leave homelessness behind and move on with their lives.
Prince William at the opening of Centrepoint's Reuben House in London (PA)The future King told staff how incredibly impressed he was with the modern units, each of which contains a bed, a small kitchen area and a bathroom, describing them as "seriously smart".
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As he sat down with three young people, two of them residents, in one of the flats, the heir to the throne said: "It's like home already" before adding: "It's that first step and then you move from there."
One resident, Jordan, 18, a mixologist who has lived at Reuben House since February, said it was "one of the best opportunities" he had ever had, adding: "I'm in a lot better place now than I was before."
William unveils a tree to mark his visit (PA)William, who is due to announce a major project on homelessness later this month, said he hoped the Centrepoint initiative would be used as a model across the UK.
"Scaling it up… that’s the aim," he said.
William last year pledged ahead of his 40th birthday to continue "shining" a light on the "solvable issue" of homelessness - and to introduce his children to charities supporting rough sleepers.
The prince chats with those at Reuben House, including DJ Sara Cox (Getty Images)He also joined a Big Issue seller on the streets of London and penned an article for the magazine about his experiences.
His mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, brought William to a homeless shelter when he was aged 11 to broaden the future King's horizons and today he is patron of the homelessness charities Centrepoint and The Passage.
William said the new project was "exactly what we need more of" and described the development as a "really good best practice model" that he hoped other local authorities would replicate elsewhere.
The prince vowed to change the position on homelessness, suggesting that if local councils were on board, the charity would be able to help "energise" such projects and then provide wraparound services to residents.
William is a patron of the homelessness charity Centrepoint (PA)He said there was a "jigsaw of issues" that young people facing homelessness were forced to navigate that others did not necessarily see.
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"A look lot of people judge homelessness by the people living on the streets," he added.
"But it’s like a jigsaw, isn’t it? The pieces have got to come together."
After a private meeting with developers, the Prince joined a game of table football played by long-time Centrepoint supporters broadcaster Lisa Maxwell and radio DJ Sara Cox, although he opted not to take part.
He then admired a tree planted to mark the occasion, joking that he had nothing to hold so would just have to just grab it.
"It's my great pleasure to say a huge thank you to you all for putting this together," he told the gathered charity representatives and donors, including Julia and Hans Rausing and Debra Reuben of the Reuben Foundation.
"It really is inspirational and it starts to show everyone how we really can prevent homelessness.
"It's a really amazing solution, a practical solution, a tangible solution to how to help young people get back on track."