Prince William’s Work with the Unhoused Reinforces the Need to ‘Humanize People Who Are Experiencing Homelessness’

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who met with the Prince of Wales on Nov. 20 to discuss the issue, says he has a “real focus on the human impact of homelessness”

Prince William went from the glitz and glamor of the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace to a meaningful conversation with a group of unhoused women some 140 miles away the next day.

Following the annual diplomatic reception on Nov. 19, the Prince of Wales, 42, was in Newport, Wales on Nov. 20 — one of the areas that he’s focusing on in his ongoing bid to eliminate homelessness.

Related: Prince William Heads to Wales to Highlight Trauma and Poverty Issues Experienced by Unhoused Women

Meeting him there was Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, a fire chief who was homeless as a teen. She introduced him to several unhoused women privately at a meeting in the city on Wednesday.

“It was a really powerful visit. We visited a provision that is really focused on women’s experience of homelessness,” she says. “As we know, women’s experience of homelessness is very different to men’s — that’s not to diminish men’s experience in any way, shape or form.”

Unhoused women, for example, are more likely to be “hidden” for fear of rough sleeping, a term used for sleeping outside or in places not typically used for sleeping, like cars and abandoned buildings.

“We present differently, so figures are skewed and access to support are skewed,” Cohen-Hatton says. “Women might face exploitation, sexual and domestic violence and the trauma that is wrapped around women’s experience of homelessness. And it needs a different fix.”

Prince William spoke to several women during the engagement.

“One of the great things about the visit was the prince was able to see firsthand just what we need to do,” Cohen-Hatton says, adding, “It was a really powerful conversation for the prince to hear. One of things that I always see with my engagements with the prince is his real focus on the human impact of homelessness. One of the really important things about today is an opportunity to remind us why we’re doing this, speaking to the people who are affected by that.”

“It’s really powerful to be able to see that. It was a really meaningful visit,” she adds. “He was quite moved. One of the great things about the prince is really manages to put people at ease very quickly. I was able to visit slightly [with them] before the prince arrived. So I saw the nerves initially and then I saw the prince come in and instantly quell those. That’s a skill he has.”

Related: Prince William Admits He’s ‘Nervous About the Challenge’ Surrounding This Aspect of His Royal Work

Cohen-Hatton appeared in Prince William’s recent documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, which premiered late last month. She believes he’ll use what he heard at the Nov. 20 meeting going forward, as “hearing about people’s experiences is able to inform how he can then direct Homewards to help. One of the questions he was asking throughout was how Homewards is making a difference and also how Homewards can help with the pinch points that we miss,” Cohen-Hatton says.

“He’s very good with his manner and line of questioning,” she tells PEOPLE. “So it’s always led by the individual he’s talking to. He never pushes to ask for details but waits to see what people are comfortable talking about and sharing. And he’s very good at putting people at ease and helping them to relax in a situation where they might not necessarily feel relaxed!”

Being in Newport “meant a lot to the women that met him,” she adds. “They were quite nervous beforehand, but what a life experience [it is] for them to meet the prince, who’s interested in hearing their stories. It’s important to reinforce how important it is to humanize people who are experiencing homelessness.”

“When I experienced it, I felt dehumanized on a daily basis, and you feel like you don’t have a sense of worth and you feel like you must deserve the situation you’re in,” she continues. “But actually, to have the prince coming in and listening to your experience, being interested in that and looking at how he can help, I think that is a really powerful place to be.”

Cohen-Hatton has worked with Homewards from its early days — the Prince of Wales launched the initiative in June 2023 — and, as its now more than a year old, “We’re seeing a real sense of momentum,” she tells PEOPLE. “The first year was really important to put in place some solid foundations and get the right people around the table. That was crucial to do. Now, we’re working out what measures of success look like, and that might be very different in the six target locations.”

Those locations include Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield.

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“Some of [the] activity is different — and it has to be because it has to be tailored to a local approach. That’s one of the strengths that Homewards brings. It’s very tailored and very individual so that you can put the right focus on the problems you have locally,” Cohen-Hatton says. “I’m really excit[ed] to see what the next few years are going to bring.”