**Prince William Faces Criticism Amid Homelessness Initiative**

Prince William has been navigating a wave of criticism directed at the royal family since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Particularly vocal has been the anti-monarchy organization Republic, spearheaded by Graham Smith. Prince William is acutely aware of their objections, especially as he embarks on new initiatives.

In a fresh documentary titled "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness" airing on ITV starting Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Prince of Wales addresses these criticisms head-on. "I think if I answered every critic, I'd be here all day. But you know, criticism drives you forward," he remarked in the interview, cited by The Guardian. "It's right to question, but our goal is to push forward to deliver change, hope, and optimism into a world that has seen very little of it for a long time. I hope I can bring something that's not been done before."

William's current focus is on tackling homelessness in the U.K. through his initiative, Homewards. The documentary captures the first year of this program, which aims to construct 24 homes in Nansledan. "I'm not claiming to solve the entire world's homelessness issues. But I am committed to showing people how to prevent homelessness," he explained in the documentary.

Announced in June 2023, Homewards was publicized with a Sunday Times headline declaring William's ambition to end homelessness in Britain. He expressed confidence to the outlet, stating, "We can do it. This challenge is not insurmountable. If anyone does become homeless, we can guide them back, provide a pathway. We can visualize it, and demonstrate that there is a way."

However, Smith quickly issued a press release countering William's announcement. He argued, "William is cynically wading into a politically contentious issue, distracting from the real problem. This project lacks funding, clarity, and fundamentally misunderstands the issue. If William genuinely wants to combat homelessness, he should forfeit his publicly funded income and directly challenge the government. Anything less is just performative concern."

The documentary reveals William’s awareness of these criticisms, particularly given his financial oversight of the Duchy of Cornwall. Smith has kept his watchful eye on the Prince’s every financial decision. "It's good to hear my criticisms of William's homelessness project were raised in the documentary," Smith tweeted on Oct. 26. "William, of course, dismissed all criticism out of hand and can't bring himself to accept that his own position and abuse of public money is unjust and immoral. #AbolishTheMonarchy"

As Prince of Wales and future King of England, William is likely to face continued scrutiny from Smith and Republic.