Modular homes endorsed by Prince William to be built by charity to 'end youth homelessness'

Centrepoint, is today'announcing its multi-million-pound scheme - billed as its 'most ambitious programme to date' - to help young homeless people aged 16 to 25.'

The charity, whose patron is Prince William, is today announcing in The Telegraph a project to offer a 'pro-active solution to help young people help themselves by giving them a job and a home' following an interview with its chief executive, Seyi Obakin OBE.

The Independent Living Programme aims to create 300 new modular homes across London and Greater Manchester by 2021 to enable young people to move into affordable accommodation and to start living independently.'

All 300 young people would also receive secure entry level or apprenticeship roles which lead to full-time employment.

An example of a Centrepoint modular home'CREDIT:'./.

As this week marked World Homeless Day, Mr Obakin told this newspaper that the Duke of Cambridge 'puts our feet to the fire' and constantly challenges the charity to come up with solutions to tackle youth homelessness.'

'Prince William has met loads of young people; he's very encouraging when he does meet them, he's very supportive of what we're trying to do here,' Mr Obakin said. 'He's very challenging about what we do around youth homelessness, so he's not sitting on the sidelines, he's putting our feet to the fire.

'He's challenged us to come up with solutions to tackle homelessness, not just to tackle homelessness but to end it. He's said to us 'you guys shouldn't be here', and you know, we shouldn't be.'

'Frankly, we shouldn't be. We're here because youth homelessness has not gone away' He's very keen and supportive of this scheme''

This year 103,000 young people approached their councils to register as homeless. This is double the number when Centrepoint was founded in 1969.'

A further one in five of the young people who use the charity's services are ready to move on with their lives but are unable to due to a shortage of affordable homes, increasingly restrictive welfare policies and reductions in local authority benefits.'

Other obstacles include a lack of social housing, high rents and upfront costs, landlords' reluctance to let to tenants receiving benefits are all factors. People aged 25 and under also receive less financial support through the benefits system.