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Prince William has insisted he is the right person to front a homelessness campaign as he describes the project as part of his role as a royal.
The Prince of Wales is set to appear in an upcoming ITV documentary about his Homewards initiative, which is designed to eradicate homelessness in six locations around the UK.
When asked whether he is the right person to lead the campaign, given he has several houses himself, the future king said he has “no other agenda” than “desperately trying to help” those in need.
In a newly released clip of the documentary, William is asked: “There will be some people who might question whether you’re the right person to lead this project and its efforts to end homelessness. How would you respond to that?”
The prince replied: “I think everyone having a right to a safe and stable home benefits us all. I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need.
“And I see that as part of my role, is that, why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can?”
The prince himself has several houses including his main home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, Anmer Hall mansion in Norfolk and Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace in London.
Upon his father’s accession to the throne, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a portfolio of land, property and investments valued at more than £1 billion.
He is also entitled to the £23 million of annual profits the estate generates as his private income.
William previously announced plans to build houses on Duchy land to tackle homelessness, with 24 homes in Nansledan, Newquay, alongside “wrap-around support” for local people to obtain a permanent home.
The documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, follows the heir to the throne around during the first year of his Homewards initiative.
William has long been a supporter of causes addressing homelessness and became royal patron of charity The Passage after visiting one of its shelters with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was 11.
In 2009 he spent a night sleeping rough to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas and he has joined a Big Issue seller at his pitch for the last two years in a row.
Six Homewards locations were chosen for the project – Newport, Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen, Sheffield and three neighbouring Dorset towns, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch – with the aim of delivering bespoke solutions to homelessness in each area.
It aims to develop a blueprint for eradicating homelessness in all its forms, “making it rare, brief and unrepeated”.
The documentary will be broadcast on October 30 and 31 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, STV and STV Player.
