The Royal approach to homelessness will turn the Prince of Wales into a national hero

His declaration received extensive coverage in the media throughout the week and will have given hope to all those who live a limbo life, flitting from one place to another, unable to put down roots and live like normal families do.

Homelessness surely is something that should never have been allowed to develop to the crisis it is today. At the launch of the project the Prince said `everyone in a modern and progressive society should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need’.

It’s difficult to work out why this society never achieved that. Any number of reasons are put forward.

I think back to the post 2nd world war period when the land was full of the homeless – men back from the war whose homes no longer existed. I was a mere child in the early fifties but even I remember the men, riding around our patch of south Derry with all their worldly goods tied to their bicycles, stopping occasionally to boil water for tea. These men had fought for King and country but came home to nothing.

The UK was impoverished, King George – Prince William’s grandfather – must have despaired at the politicians of the day, many of whom had retreated to their country estates for the war’s duration, leaving the people to their own devices. Progress was slow and homeless shelters were still in existence right up to the early 1990’s. We know that because Princess Diana became the Patron of the homeless charity Centrepoint and she often took Prince William there to help out.

This week he declared that `ending homelessness is my life’s work’.

His visit here this week was important publicity for his cause as not only did Northern Ireland suffer in the 2nd world war with homelessness rife, this was followed by the Troubles which led to more homelessness and the risk of it for many. The problems still exist here so the Prince’s visit is a welcome boost to those who devote their lives to helping the homeless.

Trying to ensure that `everyone has a safe and secure home’ as the Prince describes it is a tall order.

With the cost of living forever increasing making mortgages and rents unaffordable many will have given up hope of having a home of their own.

My generation is doubtless coming to the end of those mortgages they took on in the 70’s wondering if they would ever get to pay them off. Most likely they did and may have moved on to bigger and better homes. But something has to change to ensure that the present up and coming generation can look forward to having a home of their own – even a rental – because society can only progress if there is hope and endeavour.

It’s impressive that the Prince of Wales has taken on something so worthwhile. It gives people hope, something they rarely expect from politicians. His programme has been given the name Homewards.

Ending homelessness is `his life’s work’ he says `and by working together it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated’.

He lost his mother at a young age, his brother lives in America, his father is the King with a wife who replaced his mother who had introduced him to the world of the homeless. Prince William declared at the launch of Homewards that it was possible to end homelessness in the UK. We all need to waken up to the plight of others and I believe him.