United Kingdom: William, Prince of Wales, has come forward with plans to build 24 homes on land in the Duchy of Cornwall to tackle homelessness. The Duchy said that the construction of the homes at Nansledan, Newquay, would begin in September and the first homes would be completed by autumn 2025.
They are produced in partnership with homelessness charity St Petrocs. The prince has announced a five-year campaign set to begin in 2023 with the goal of ending homelessness. The Duchy stated that, “The first phase of the development will focus on creating high-quality temporary accommodation that feels like home.”
St Petrocs will provide “wrap-around support” for residents to access employment and training opportunities. The prince’s estate director, Ben Murphy, said that, “The homes would help break the cycle of homelessness in the Newquay area. As one of his key priorities for the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince William asked us to address the homelessness challenge within Cornwall and other areas where the estate resides.”
Murphy further said that, “The Duchy is well-known for integrating high-quality affordable housing into the new communities built on its land, and Prince William is determined to ensure that we continue to be part of the solution when it comes to the housing crisis.”
“The shortage of social rent and private rented properties are widely considered to be the main causes of increasing homelessness across the country, which is why we are proud to launch this project alongside ambitious plans to unlock more affordable and attainable homes across our estate,” he added.
The charity’s chief executive, Henry Meacock stated that, “Our charity has been working in Cornwall for over 30 years and has supported many hundreds of people in this time. With the Duchy of Cornwall, we believe we can deliver a truly exemplary project embedded in the local community which will provide a route for many more people out of homelessness for good.”
Prince of Wales has confirmed that the housing projects in Nansledan will aim to increase affordable housing from 30 percent to 40 percent. This will result in 200 more affordable homes in addition to the existing 1,020.
According to the reports, they also plan to create a private rented scheme for Nansledan, which would remove barriers to entry for low-income earners with long-term tenancies and transparent rent increases. The estate has committed to constructing more than 400 social rented homes and 475 affordable homes in a new development in South East Faversham, Kent.
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