Covid proved we can end homelessness, says Prince of Wales

The Prince of Wales has said measures taken during the Covid pandemic showed that homelessness can be solved, proving that “where there’s a will there’s a way”.

Speaking on a podcast about the urgent need to tackle the homeless crisis, Prince William said the emergency measures to find accommodation for rough sleepers during the pandemic showed that a long-term solution is possible.

“The pandemic showed we can end homelessness. We got everyone off the streets and we got people into accommodation,” the Prince told the podcast hosted by the Groundswell homelessness charity.

He added: “There’s still much to be done, but the point was we had a plan that showed that actually, this is not just an aspiration but that it can be done. For a lot of people it focused minds and [showed that] if there’s a will there’s a way.

“The pandemic has really energised people to think this isn’t a wishful aspiration. It can be done and it should be done.”

The Prince said his passion to end the scourge of homelessness had been sparked by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when she took him to visit The Passage charity in central London as a young boy.

Saying he wanted to make the eradication of homelessness his life mission the Prince stated: “I’m really grateful my mother took me and showed me another part of society that I probably wouldn’t have had exposure to. I’m hoping I’m in this for the long run with homelessness. What I’m trying to work towards is that homelessness is rare, it’s brief and it’s non-recurrent.”

The Prince was speaking to two Groundswell volunteers, Miles and Nawshin on their ‘Listen Up!’ podcast as part of his support for the charity, which he featured on his appeal for Red Nose Day this year.

He emphasised that long-term support was needed to tackle the homeless crisis, adding: “Anyone of us could be a few steps away from being homeless. A few issues that happen, a few wrong steps made could lead to a slippery road to homelessness.”

Latest figures from Shelter show that there were at least 271,000 people recorded as homeless in England alone, including 123,000 children, in January.

The Prince said it was vital that policymakers and social workers listen to the lived experience of homeless people as part of implementing strategies to tackle the crisis.

“I’m utterly in awe of what they have been through and how they’ve managed to get themselves back to where they are in a relatively safe place. These stories are so powerful, so inspirational, we should be hearing more of them,” he said.