launched a five-year project to end long-term homelessness in the United Kingdom on Monday, saying he wants to make sure that instances of people being left without a roof over their heads are B次元官网网址渞are, brief and unrepeated.B次元官网网址�

The will announce details of the program over the next two days as he visits six pilot projects around the country that have received grants of up to 500,000 pounds ($637,000) each from the Royal Foundation, the charity that supports the work of William and his wife Kate.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated, and I am very much looking forward to working with our six locations to make our ambition a reality,B次元官网网址� William said in a statement.

The six projects supported by the initiative, known as Homewards, involve collaborative efforts by local organizations, individuals and businesses to combat homelessness in their communities. Homewards also hopes to emulate the success of Finland, where people receive permanent housing as a first step before trying to address other issues such as substance abuse.

The initiative comes as rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing push more people into homelessness amid the biggest decline in living standards since World War II.

B次元官网网址淢y first visit to a homelessness shelter was when I was 11 with my mother. The visits we made left a deep and lasting impression,B次元官网网址� William said as he launched the program.

B次元官网网址淚 met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heartbreaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home.B次元官网网址�

Around 300,000 people across the U.K. are homeless on any given night, according to Matt Downie, chief executive of the charity Crisis, one of the organizations working with Homewards.

B次元官网网址淭he best way to tackle homelessness is to stop it happening in the first place,B次元官网网址� Downie said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen it in other countries such as Finland, where homelessness is all but ended, and weB次元官网网址檝e seen it when we follow innovative programs that give people housing first.B次元官网网址�

Danica Kirka, The Associated Press

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