Prince William 'We can end homelessness"

[Thedom]

Part 1, I thought it was a really insightful and thought provoking documentary, very well produced and some impressive people working tirelessly to support the homeless community.

William came across as passionate and very articulate, knowledgeable without appearing to be preaching. A great cause and hopefully will be successful, it's great he is working so closely with those who are on the front line daily trying to make a difference.

He looks so like Diana, not only his appearance but his mannerisms and expressions, could have been watching and listening to Diana at times.

Don't know how it will do on Disney+ though, it is very UK specific, an unsexy subject and I am sure they will have to add subtitles in places.

It was interesting. I, too, thought he sounded quite like Diana.

Articulate? Yes, and seemingly at ease with the people he met. I realise he sees some of them often.

Seeing as this thread has got so much traction and all, here's something to stir up some of the usual ... intelligent discourse:

Prince William Documentary Branded 'Abject Failure' Amid Mixed Reviews

Although the show, We Can End Homelessness, focuses on an indisputably good cause it got a rough ride in the media after it was broadcast on Wednesday, October 30, with many suggesting a contradiction bearing in mind his privilege and multiple homes.

Marianne Levy for i News was perhaps most scathing in her assessment, arguing the royal needed to grapple with the political causes behind rising levels of homelessness.
"For if homelessness in the UK is to end, we need to know why it is at an all-time high," she wrote.
"We need to know about cutbacks to social services, how the NHS is struggling to provide frontline care, the burden on GPs (general practitioners).
"We need to know about investment in and the building of social housing. Of these issues, and the many more that have contributed to the crisis William has announced his intention to solve, there was nothing. It made for dismal television.
"The contributors talked of hope, but what this documentary was missing was anger. William is clearly committed to his cause, but he simply cannot galvanise his audience at the ballot box, in the workplace, and in the wider social arena to fix this inhumane problem once and for all.
"As an hour of factual television that was supposed to prove it is possible to end homelessness, this documentary was an abject failure."

Enjoy!

https://www.newsweek.com/prince-william-homeless-project-failure-reviews-1977730

PW is not going to be doing those things about the causes, because they are far too political. The RF stays neutral.

He won't be criticising past policies, or campaigning for and particular political policies, no matter how germane.

He's sticking to the more humanitarian aspects.

I just watched Part 2, very moving, I cried in parts.

I honestly believe what they are doing is far from abject failure, on the contrary it is humbling and inspiring to get a glimpse of those who are dedicated to supporting people at a grass roots level and the difference that support makes in getting them off the streets.

It humanised people, teens in horrible family situations leading them to live on the streets, the photo album the man showed of life before he became homeless, holidays abroad with his young daughter, a normal dad and normal life. The young girl who lived on the streets alone at age 16, terrified and yet she was upset that people thought she was a tramp. It was heartbreaking and illuminating at the same time to hear their experiences and how a twist of fate or bad decision took them into a vortex that is difficult to get out of. It was shocking to hear that Gayle Porter found herself homeless, isn't homeless now, but still lives with the reality that it could happen again.

It was right not to put a political spin on it, and yes William is privileged, but there are 68 million UK residents who are more privileged than those living in shelters, tents and couch surfing, so I don't think he, nor the other supporters featured, should be criticised for doing something tangible to help try to end homelessness. He has certainly put a spotlight on it, in a compassionate and informative manner, anger is futile and not going to get anyone anywhere.

It's a mammoth task for sure, and it will be interesting to see how much they will have achieved by their 5 year goal, a pretty ambitious timeframe by all accounts.

Overall, it was a great documentary and William comes across as being a very collaborative and compassionate figure head and very well respected by those he has joined forces with.
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Tbh I wouldn't have tasked Diana with ending homelessness either..

Well said @Thedom !

Caveat my comment with acknowledgement that I haven't watched the documentary.

However, I think it must be hard for William to really grapple with this as it us such a political issue. Same with Kate and her early years focus- it must come round to social problems that often cause problems for young children and parents ie social issues, poverty and parental mental health issues (often associated with poverty, discrimination, social disadvantage etc)

Choosing those topics is brave, but hard to campaign on whilst staying apolitical.

I didn't see part one but what I saw of part two was shocking wee girl of 16 on the streets 😕.

While he needs to remain neutral. He is in a unique position to pressure His Majesties Government to actually do something about it.

And it's a complex problem with complex solutions but at least he is trying

My sentiments exactly @Thedom ! Well said!!

I fully support Prince William in his endeavours on this.

How else would a cause like this get hours of prime time television without PW. He's doing exactly what he can in his remit. He can't act politically- he can only bring to attention the plight of thousands. He's right to be outraged that in a developed country like ours so many sleep rough.

I really admire him for what he's doing.

Absolutely this. I was in awe of some of the people working to end homelessness and very moved by some of the stories. Good for William for trying his best to do what he can from a position he was born into and did not choose. He doesn’t lecture or come across as arrogant or superior. He listened, supported and is obviously doing his best in his own way.

Far better to focus on long term projects . Camilla with her DA work has really raised the profile of the issue .
Royals using their profile to raise awareness is far better than flitting from project to project.

Yes, because HE was involved the topic got 2 hours of prime time TV and had time to go into some detail about specific people, not a half-hour gloss over.

This is from the bio of the author Tallersally quoted (had never heard of her)

She lives in London, and spends her spare time eating cheese and hassling other people's dogs.

Perhaps she should consider taking a leaf from Saffri, Sabine, Fara, Gayle and the others, and use her spare time more purposefully rather than writing a critical and dismissive Op Ed on the work these incredible people do, they are taking action and Williams Homewards seems to be the lynchpin in supporting these grass roots organisations.

It was a powerful message and a very well produced documentary.

I agree.

Homelessness is a really complex and intractable problem - it's not just a matter of providing 'homes' for people on the streets. I heard one analyst say 'They're not homeless people so much as 'family-less' people, often. There are so many different reasons: addiction, of course, being one, but also the tragic youngsters who have either left care and been abandoned to the streets, or those who've been turned out by their families - often because of mothers' and fathers' new relationships etc.

It's not as simple as 'the government has failed to provide them with homes' . These kind of issues will always be with us - there'll always be new victims of addiction, being turned out of their homes etc. Money is crucial but there's so much more involved. It's a long-term or even a never-ending project and I hope William can make an impact.

I agree the PoW would be criticised if he made it political. He is using his position to bring together the right people to try and make a difference. I suspect behind closed doors he is talking to Ministers and relevant gmt departments.

What I liked is that clearly a lot of thought and work has gone into this and it feels like a start of a long term project. Having the initial 5 projects spread around the UK is thoughtful, means it’s not London centric, and allows for evaluation before being expanded.

It was also good to see the profile of those working in communities being raised. Without the PoW they would not get the coverage they got.

The RF have to tread a careful line and quite frankly will always get criticised no matter what they do. However, the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, The Prince’s’King’s Trust have grown from small beginnings and this feels like it has the same potential.

I haven't seen the documentary yet so can only comment generally of course.

I can't imagine a better cause for a POW/future King to get behind. Of course he's walking a tightrope as there are political aspects, but using his profile, access and influence to even raise awareness is the right thing to do. He's been involved in Centrepoint for decades and I think is really serious about this. Any involvement and help he can offer is better than doing nothing.

All power to his elbow IMO.

Well he can’t win in the eyes of many because of his place in the world. I am left-to-centrist in my politics, but it really frustrates me to read comments (on X) such as well he’s worth so much money, why not just give it to the homeless? It doesn’t work like that.
My partner has worked around the homeless, and his point of view has opened up my eyes. As ordinary everyday people, we think that if we give the homeless a home, it’s a problem solved. But he’s told me about the numerous clients he found places for who were back on the streets within weeks.
It is such a complicated issue involving often trauma, addiction, abuse, family problems first. Before we factor in financial issues and job loss. I found the lifts used in Finland interesting because it recognises the complexities involved.
I think William was shown the reality of life outside of palaces and its stayed with him. Whatever his mother’s faults were, she had empathy and could communicate. He has the same skills. You could see the warmth and respect and the fact that he will dig in to get a job done.
And while people are having a go, what are you doing to help?
I think he’s a fantastic young man who had been left a huge task now his brother has left him to it.
He is not a politician, of course he has inherited wealth, but you can see that his position enables him to get things done.
There is a thread on here at the moment featuring a wonderful lady who has been made homeless due to DV. Getting her MP involved seems to be helping.
If William gets involved with a project then people listen. He’s doing his best and that’s good enough for me.

Absolutely this!

I’ve only seen part one but he asked them such good questions about themselves and their individual situations, how it happened to them, how could their particular descent into homelessness have been prevented.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · Today 11:42

Well he can’t win in the eyes of many because of his place in the world. I am left-to-centrist in my politics, but it really frustrates me to read comments (on X) such as well he’s worth so much money, why not just give it to the homeless? It doesn’t work like that.

100% agree.

I get so annoyed when people think it's just a matter of throwing money at it. it's way, way more complex and intractable than that.

And as I said upthread - there will be a constant supply of homeless people in society because the ongoing causes won't disappear. But one area where I think things could be improved fairly simply is to provide more support for youngsters coming out of care -hostels would be great, with a concierge or some kind of support worker. I think to go into your own flat might be a bit of a stretch (let's face it, many youngsters have the buffer of university before plunging into totally independent living). Something akin to a small hall of residence-type of place for these young people with adult supervision where necessary would be helpful.

I remember being in St Albans around NY last year. The weather was vile - freezing cold but pouring with rain. A young man was slumped, soaked to the skin, in a doorway. I don't think giving cash is the answer at all, but I just couldn't have walked past him so I gave him money. He could hardly raise his head to acknowledge it and I saw him pull out a bottle of something and swig it. He was an incredibly handsome young man - NOT THAT THAT'S THE POINT - but it struck me how different his life could have been. Absolutely tragic.I imagine it would take a lot to help him - not just money.

I used to volunteer with the homeless in St Albans, we would give them a hot meal, somewhere warm to sit and eat it and give out clothes/blankets/toiletries. What I actually found was that they just wanted someone to listen to them as much as they wanted a hot meal.

But one area where I think things could be improved fairly simply is to provide more support for youngsters coming out of care -hostels would be great, with a concierge or some kind of support worker

This already exists and most councils have to prioritize care leavers. It's complex why this then doesn't translate into successful independent living, but there are indeed supported housing projects all over the place.

The main issue is demand, it's a bit like the NHS, the services are great once you get to them but the problem is too many people want to access not enough services and so there's a lot of gatekeeping and turning people away and hoping they don't need help and telling them there is no help even though this is not true, before they get some help. It's a bit like CAMHS, like all services, the people keep pouring in and the main job of housing officers is not to help them but to deny them access unless they have to give it to them for legal reasons. It's not their fault, that's the system. Only those legally entitled to homelessness provision, which is not often adult males with no dependents, will get it.

But the thing is, whatever help he needs will require funding, so it is quite a lot about money, whether it's for therapy or detox treatment or whatever.

Ah yes pw multi millionaire, pc (his dad) inherited billions and paid no tax...I know exactly how we can end homelessness pw...you give up some of your family's wealth, palaces, land...why not house the homeless yourself? Or use your money to built homeless shelter/accomodation on the land you own?