Prince William visits Homewards housing project created in partnership with The Duchy of Cornwall and St Petrocs

Homewards, alongside Cornish charity St Petrocs, welcomed The Prince of Wales to Nansledan, Cornwall today to see the Duchy of Cornwall’s first dedicated homelessness housing initiative. This is a pioneering project demonstrating how prevention‑led housing can be delivered through long term partnership and local leadership.

Delivered by the Duchy of Cornwall in partnership with Cornish charity St Petrocs, and supported by Homewards, the project will provide 24 low‑carbon, high‑quality homes for people experiencing homelessness, alongside tailored wrap‑around support. Phase one of the development is nearing completion, with the first residents expected to move in this summer.

During the visit, Prince William saw first‑hand how the project has progressed since his previous visit in 2024, when the foundations were first laid. He toured one of the new homes and visited the on‑site hub, meeting frontline staff from St Petrocs who will deliver support to residents, as well as former service users who have helped shape the development through their lived experience.

Cornwall, like many parts of the UK, faces acute housing pressures driven by a shortage of affordable homes. While temporary accommodation plays a vital role in preventing homelessness, it can often lack the stability, dignity and support people need to move on successfully. The Nansledan project is designed to respond to this challenge by combining high‑quality homes with personalised support, access to skills, and strong links to local services – creating a clear pathway towards independence and permanent housing.

From the outset, people with lived experience of homelessness have been involved in shaping both the homes and the support model. This includes contributing to decisions around fittings and furnishings, provided through Homewards partners, to ensure residents can settle quickly and feel at home from day one.

As a Homewards Activator and socially responsible landowner, the Duchy of Cornwall is playing a pivotal role. Through this project, and other projects in Lambeth, The Duchy is demonstrating how land, stewardship and long‑term commitment can help unlock the pace and quality of supported housing that is often difficult to deliver.

The visit highlighted Nansledan as a powerful example of the Homewards model in action. It shows how homelessness prevention can be achieved through strong local partnerships, lived‑experience insight and practical, scalable solutions. The learnings from this project will help inform future approaches, supporting Homewards’ ambition to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.