Prince William is interested in using property on the Duchy of Cornwall estate as housing for the homeless, a royal source reportedly said.
The Duke of Cambridge is a passionate campaigner for the homeless and destitute and has worked closely with charities to help get people off the streets.
Now with the impact of Covid causing a greater strain for many people, William has started looking at how royal property could be used to provide a roof over their heads for those who are homeless.
He is looking at the Duchy of Cornwall estate as an option, it has been reported .
Currently the estate is owned by Prince Charles, and revenue is used to fund his own and his family’s charities, but William is due to inherit it one day.
And he has asked his staff to look at buildings on the Duchy of Cornwall estate, especially those in urban areas, to see if they could be used to help the homeless, it is reported.
A royal source told The Telegraph : “The Duke is interested in finding ways to help alleviate the homelessness situation in any way he can.”
William’s efforts to help the homeless saw him become patron of Centrepoint in 2005 with the charity providing housing and support especially for young people in the UK.
Then in 2009 he spent a night sleeping rough so as to experience what it is like at first hand.
Following this, a St James’ Palace spokesman, reported the Guardian, said: “Prince William took away from the experience the importance of tackling all the issues that cause people to be homeless and stay homeless, from drug dependency to mental health problems.”
More recently, in September this year, Prince William told the Passage charity that the importance of eradicating homelessness had been highlighted by the Covid pandemic.
He said: “The last 18 months of the pandemic have shown us how much we rely on each other to get by – and just how strong our communities can be when we work together to get things done.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we now need to continue that collaboration to prevent and end homelessness.”
The Duke first visited The Passage homeless shelter in 1993 with his brother Prince Harry and their mother Princess Diana and he is now a patron of the charity.
