The Prince of Wales has praised homeless charity Centrepoint’s new “stepping stone” housing development which aims to provide affordable rental flats for young people.
William officially opened Reuben House, a block of 33 studio properties in south-east London, where rents are set at a third of a resident’s income, and hailed the initiative as “amazing”.
Celebrity supporters of Centrepoint BBC Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox and actress Lisa Maxwell were among those who watched the future king launch the project in Peckham today, 13 June.
It forms a key part of Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme to combat youth homelessness, with the charity estimating that around 15,000 16 to 24-year-olds in London, out of a total of 129,000 nationally, faced homelessness last year.
William, who is Centrepoint’s patron, was impressed by the three-storey development, where a compact open-plan bedroom, kitchen and living space, with a separate bathroom, is spread over just 21 square metres.
After touring a property and meeting two young people living in the block, the prince told some of the supporters: “Incredible the space you get up there, and it feels homely.”
Commenting on how it enables young people to escape from sofa-surfing, he added: “It’s just about that first step and you start from there. You can replicate it anywhere.”
When William stood by a young sapling in a pot, which symbolised the launch, he told the guests the project was “inspirational”.
Earlier, in one of the flats, William chatted to a group of young people living in the block and spoke to Ruffine, a 21-year-old working in digital marketing and originally from Coventry, who was living temporarily with friends before securing a property.
She said afterwards: “It’s a good space, your own little space for a single person, and a nice place to start your life and build a foundation.”
Seyi Obakin, Centrepoint’s chief executive officer, hosted the royal visit and said afterwards he believed what was unique about the project was, no other organisation had built a similar development run on the same rental structure.
He described the project as a “…stepping stone accommodation – a bridge between supportive housing and the private rental sector – this is a bridge that currently doesn’t exist”.
Meanwhile, a royal expert has explained how William and his wife, The Princess of Wales, are using their own experiences at school to raise Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Speaking exclusively to OK!, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said: The Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that their young family will, as far as possible, come first and that includes sending all three to day school, rather than having them as boarders away from home.
"Catherine had a very unhappy time at Downe House in her first two terms and was bullied quite badly before she left and moved to Marlborough College.
"This has completely influenced the way she wants her children to be educated, coupled with her belief and research into early years development.
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