Prince William’s Homewards program taps Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness at DePaul University

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CHICAGO — Prince William and The Royal Foundation have tapped the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness as a sector partner for a new initiative to end homelessness in the United Kingdom. Announced last week, Homewards is a five-year effort to demonstrate it’s possible to end homelessness in the U.K. Lydia Stazen, director of the institute housed at DePaul University, was named to the national experts panel.

“In nearly a decade of work, IGH has proven to be a world leader in developing policy and bringing people together in an effort to move closer to a world where everyone has a home that offers security, safety, autonomy and opportunity,” said DePaul President Robert L. Manuel. “I’m thrilled that Prince William and The Royal Foundation recognize IGH and its leadership for their expertise in finding solutions to address one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

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As a sector partner, IGH brings globally recognized leadership in ending street homelessness and providing credibility, collaboration and on-the-ground experience. At the outset of the program, Stazen helped The Royal Foundation select six flagship locations in the U.K. to use as pilot sites. Going forward, she will continue to provide counsel and expertise throughout the life of the Homewards program.

"There is so much to learn about local homelessness by considering global drivers — including displacement due to climate change, war and conflict, systemic inequalities and poverty, and discrimination and racism,” said Stazen, who is one of 10 international experts chosen for the panel. “I am pleased to support The Royal Foundation's new Homewards initiative by incorporating global learnings that will strengthen efforts to end homelessness across the U.K."

In a report commissioned by The Royal Foundation, one in five of the U.K. public have some personal experience of homelessness either directly or via family or friends. The report also found that 73% of U.K. people believe homelessness is not given enough attention by society, and 72% support the aim of making homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.

"I'm delighted that the Institute of Global Homelessness is a sector partner for The Royal Foundation's new Homewards initiative,” said Dame Louise Casey, founding board member of the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness and a member of the House of Lords in the U.K. “With this partnership, communities around the U.K. can learn from global leading practices as well as share our own innovations with other communities both near and far, so that we all learn together how to better address homelessness."

Founded in 2014, the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness works to end street homelessness at a global scale by advocating for international homelessness policy focused on definition and measurement, collaborating with cities and countries eager to take concrete action to solve the program, and connecting with others to coalesce the global movement. IGH also partners with Depaul International, headquartered in London, who helps provide direct services for people experiencing homelessness in the U.K., Ireland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Croatia, the U.S. and France.

One of the ways the institute is driving solutions is through the Vanguard Cities program. The first cohort of 13 cities made a commitment to significantly reduce or end street homelessness in reflection of their local context. Among the cities include Chicago and Little Rock, Arkansas from the U.S., and Greater Manchester, England and Glasgow, Scotland in the U.K.

The Vanguard Cities initiative has already paid dividends, as Glasgow has essentially eliminated street homelessness, while Greater Manchester has seen a 57% reduction in street homelessness. The Royal Foundation referenced the Vanguard Cities program when putting together the Homewards initiative.

More about Homewards is available at the initiative's website.

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