As a shy 11 year old, he famously visited a homeless shelter with his mother, Princess Diana and now a grown up Prince William is carrying on her work by backing the building of new homes for at risk young people in London.
In 2023 the Prince of Wales initiated the Homewards mission to make homelessness, in the prince’s own words, “rare, brief and unrepeated,” and now that goal is one step closer.
Following housing projects in Aberdeen in Scotland and Sheffield in England’s north, 16 new homes will be built in Lambert, South London in a partnership between Centrepoint and funds from Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall.
Work has been approved to convert an existing building into independent living apartments for young people aged 18 to 25 that will be managed by Centrepoint and “provide affordable homes that act as a bridge between supported accommodation and the private rented sector,” as per Homewards’ online statement.
Centrepoint’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Seyi Obakin said they are delighted to be working with local council and the Duchy on the housing project to show that “eradicating youth homelessness is achievable.”
“Centrepoint is committed to ending youth homelessness in the UK, and we know that can only be achieved through collaborative effort,” Mr Obakin explained.
“By linking rent to individual income levels, this Innovative Housing Project offers more than shelter — it offers young people the stepping stone they need to pursue their careers, build financial resilience, and transition out of homelessness for good.”
William became patron of the charity in 2005, a position once filled by his late mother. He has often acknowledged how her work continues to influence his own approach and tied her own life with this new project.
Commemorating what would have been Diana’s 64th birthday, Prince William recently travelled to Sheffield in northern England to mark the second anniversary of Homewards, and released a heartfelt letter to the six participating sites.
In the letter, he praised their progress and declared that the initiative is now firmly in “delivery mode”.
“We have the ability to harness our collective capabilities, expertise, and resources towards this common cause. I am immensely proud to say that your collective effort has already allowed us to achieve lasting impact,” he wrote.
“I am confident we can lead and inspire understanding, empathy and optimism that homelessness can be ended.”
“Keep going!”
Princess Diana sadly died on August 31, 1997, following a tragic car accident in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. The crash, which also claimed the lives of her companion Dodi Al Fayed and driver Henri Paul, sent shockwaves across the globe.
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