Prince William has just started a campaign to end homelessness in the UK – but it’s been met with some scepticism from critics.

The Prince of Wales’ new five-year initiative, called Homewards, aims to eradicate rough sleeping, where organisations and individuals are encouraged to develop “bespoke” action plans to tackle homelessness with up to £500,000 of funding available to six locations across the UK.

His charitable foundation is offering up to £3 million in total, meant to help make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated”, because “everyone should have a safe and secure home”.

William has explained that he’s particularly passionate because his mother Princess Diana regularly took him on visits to meet those in need, including those who were homeless.

He is a patron of homelessness charities Centrepoint and The Passage, too.

Yet, this particular initiative risks overstepping the apolitical nature demanded of the constitutional monarchy because it is a subject which is often debated within the Commons as part of the Levelling Up schemes.

His father, now King Charles, was often accused of “meddling” with politics when he was first-in-line to the throne, like his son is now – although Charles appears to have withdrawn from any divisive issues since inheriting the crown.

As historian Sir Anthony Seldon told the BBC, “this is as significant an intervention as any single intervention made by his father when Prince of Wales”, and it is a topic “normally reserved just for elected politicians”.

Then, there’s the practical issues that come with resolving this major issue.

As Ligia Teixeira, chief executive of the Centre for Homelessness Impact, also told the broadcaster: “Ending homelessness for good is not rocket science. The evidence shows it’s harder than that.”

She pointed out that homelessness is linked to many complicated factors like a lack of affordable housing, economic inequality and migration.

There are more than 300,000 people homeless in the UK right now – that includes people who are in temporary accommodation and rough sleepers.

The funds he has put aside for this project also pales in comparison to the £369 million restoration bill for Buckingham Palace which is being partly funded by the taxpayer.

The issue of homelessness is particularly contentious right now too, as the housing crisis looks more precarious than ever. The cost of living crisis has seen rents soar, along with steep interest rates for mortgages which means homeowners are now worrying, too.

William – like all of the royals – is also a wealthy landowner in his own right.

He owns several homes; a Grade-II listed four-bedroom house, Adelaide Cottage near Windsor Castle; an apartment in London’s Kensington Palace; and Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

He told The Sunday Times he planned to have social housing on his land in the Duchy of Cornwall (13,000 acres he inherited, worth approximately £1 billion), but said he wanted to “start small” and that he would reveal more about this when “it’s ready”.

The Duchy offers an annual income of £21 million used to support his family, and his philanthropic work. William voluntarily pays income tax on all revenue from the estate.

But, the Duchy of Cornwall currently advertises luxury holiday cottages for a hefty price tag – a jarring comparison when he’s trying to campaign to end homelessness.

Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, said it was “crass and hypocritical of William to get involved in this issue, given the excessive wealth we gift him”.

The Guardian’s columnist Zoe Williams also pointed out that this is a huge, systemic issue.

She wrote: ”It’s such an intricate phantasm, collectively constructed, of an old world in which individuals can solve all their own problems, and if they can’t, Prince William can help.”

However, William’s team have argued that he is using his privileged to help the greater good.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “This isn’t about a PR stunt. This is about trying to change the way we as a society think about homelessness.”