Prince William: We can end homelessness (Part 1, 9pm ITV)
Prince William has an ambitious new initiative: he wants to eradicate homelessness in the United Kingdom within five years. Well, very good for him.
The protection and safety of his most vulnerable subjects is exactly the kind of mission a budding king should embark on.
What could be more valuable than giving the homeless and destitute a safe, warm place to sleep at night, rather than risking the cold, dirty streets of our cities?
Oh, if only there were someone who had at his disposal castles, mansions, vast country estates, multi-room palaces and a portfolio of Duchy of Cornwall property worth around a billion, someone who could open his arms and open his doors. to their inherited privilege. And maybe eradicate the problem in one fell swoop?
As one of the country’s richest landowners trying to help those without a carpet tile of their own, Prince William is not unaware of the paradox of his position.
Prince William lends a hand at festive dinner for homeless people at charity The Passage
Breath of a new heir: six minutes later, Prince William was already wearing a comedy apron, handing out roast potatoes at a charity Christmas lunch.
The royal met Wayne from Cardiff, who had been a crack-addicted alcoholic, burglarizing houses and cars to fund his addictions before turning his life around with the help of a charity.
Former English footballer Fara Williams spoke to Prince William about her homeless past
“Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to help people in need?” he said last night, as the vague specter of criticism rose faintly.
“I don’t think we should be homeless in the 21st century,” he reasoned. “I feel like with my platform I should create change.”
To this end, William launched his ‘Homewards’ show in 2023 and gave an ITV documentary team the usual ‘unprecedented’ access to his progress for 12 months.
Of course, when it comes to real documentaries, we all know this means exactly the opposite.
Participants are often locked in a lock of deference and, in this case, restricted to a meticulously curated vision of what Prince William wants to be seen.
There were images of William worried at meetings, William worried while talking to homeless people, and William super worried while walking with a folder under his arm.
Six minutes later, he was wearing a comedy apron, serving roast potatoes at a charity Christmas lunch, and talking about how the memory of his mother inspired him to help the homeless; Exclusive and personal photographs of William and Diana visiting a homeless shelter properly provided.
Sometimes one can’t escape the feeling that we are all spectators of a monumental existential struggle between Prince William and Prince Harry, henceforth known as Mummy Loved Me Best.
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton was previously homeless before becoming an author, firefighter and senior psychologist.
Gemma (left), who works for an organization called Housing First, with Prince William, Sabrina and Wayne, during a meeting at Kensington Palace.
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, 41, was living on the streets of Wales when she was just 15, after a harrowing childhood in which her father died when she was nine and her mother struggled “terribly” with her mental health. .
Sabrina talks to other people in the documentary who have experienced homelessness.
We Can End Homelessness was produced by Mindhouse, directed by Leo Burley and equipped with a portentous, sadness-tinged voiceover from actor David Morrissey.
In the first of two parts, broadcast last night, viewers were introduced to some sobering but indisputable statistics: 350,000 people across Britain are now without a permanent home, 80,000 families are living in temporary accommodation and, as of 2019, more than 109,000 homes in the sector private rental. have received Section 21 eviction notices.
This suggests there will be more homelessness despite the Labor government abolishing these notices next year.
Prince William and the late Princess Diana during a visit to The Passage center in 1993
William was around 11 when he visited the day centre, which helps homeless people.
William revealed how he was inspired to help the homeless by the memory of his mother.
William played chess during his visit to homeless charity The Passage with his mother.
Prince William did not comment directly on these figures, nor were the complex political and social reasons behind them analyzed or discussed.
In Sheffield we met a woman whose first language was not English, who had five children and three jobs, with no husband or father in sight.
Her landlord had served her with an eviction notice, but in the rush to sympathize we were never told why, how, or what was really happening.
Did she, in fact, end up homeless? It was never clear.
Next was Wayne from Cardiff, who had been a crack-addicted alcoholic, who burglarized houses and cars to finance his addictions.
He had been saved by an extraordinary woman called Gemma who worked for an organization called Housing First.
She had taken him off the streets, placed him in a home, and given him the “intensive social care” he needed to turn his life around.
“Like sorting out all your benefits and optician appointments,” he explained.
Over cups of tea at Windsor Castle, she was introduced to Prince William.
‘Wayne, how do we get people’s national psyche to understand the human story of why people can become homeless on the streets?’ -William asked.
How indeed. Throughout the hour-long programme, the Prince of Wales has been up and down about how he could “see in their eyes and in the way they speak the pain and the journey they have taken” and how he just wanted to “see someone smile because their life has improved.”
Of course he means well, but at the end of part one, I was no clearer about how the prince was going to achieve his Homewards goal, except that he seemed interested in providing an “umbrella” for well-established homeless organizations like The Salvation Army, Shelter, the Big Issue and Centrepoint.
“If I can be the glue that holds them together,” he suggested at a meeting. I don’t think they were too impressed.
Perhaps more will be revealed in the second part.