Prince William Says Homelessness Is ‘Something I Want to Challenge’
Prince William is sharing an up-close look at his advocacy work for homeless people in a new documentary.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a preview clip of the upcoming documentary, called Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, in which William, 42, speaks candidly about why he is passionate about the issue.
“I think it’s really important that we can try and change and tackle the narrative around homelessness,” he says. “We see it every day in our lives. That’s something I want to challenge.”
According to the post, the documentary is coming soon to ITV and ITVX.
The two-part documentary will follow William as he meets a fire chief and a former homeless man, the Independent reported. It will also showcase the work the Prince of Wales has done with his Homewards project, which he launched in 2023 with the goal to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated.”
“Over the past year, we have spent time following Prince William and The Royal Foundation through the first year of the Homewards program. We’ve heard some incredibly moving stories from people across the country facing homelessness,” the documentary’s director, Leo Burley, said of the project when it was first announced in July.
“From street homelessness in Newport, to families living in temporary accommodation in Sheffield, and youth homelessness in Aberdeen, the documentary paints a picture of homelessness across the U.K. today, working with many people who never expected to experience life without a place to call home,” Burley continued. “Everyone we’ve filmed with has welcomed the spotlight that Prince William and Homewards are placing on the U.K.’s homelessness crisis.”
In addition to William’s efforts, the documentary will also spotlight advocates working around the U.K. on various projects to assist homeless people.
William launched his Homewards initiative in June 2023. At the time, the organization announced that it would provide $3.8 million to six different locations as seed money for an ambitious plan to end homelessness.
“In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need,” William said in a statement at the time. “Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the U.K. hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate.”
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The prince later shared that his inspiration for Homewards came from making visits to homeless shelters as a child with his mother, Princess Diana.
“The visits we made left a deep and lasting impression,” William said in a speech soon after the Homewards launch. “I met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heartbreaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home.”