The chief executive of a homelessness charity has backed calls for Brighton and Hove City Council to stop using Kendal Court in Newhaven as temporary housing.
Andy Winter, who runs BHT Sussex, formerly Brighton Housing Trust, supported calls by councillors to stop placing homeless people there after another death at the flats this month. See earlier reports here and here.
At least 10 people placed at Kendal Court have died since the council started sending homeless people there, with the latest death reported earlier this month.
Up to 54 people at a time are housed in the five blocks of self-contained flats in Railway Road. Critics have said that they were dumped there without proper support.
Mr Winter said: “Accommodating vulnerable, sometimes chaotic people, is not easy nor is it cheap, and I do not envy the councillors and officers at the city council whose responsibility it is to make provision for such emergency accommodation.
“It requires far more than mere housing. It requires skilled and experienced staff on site to assess and support residents.
“The Phase One project run by BHT Sussex accommodates 52 residents. It has staff on duty 24 hours a day. Where particular vulnerabilities are identified we put in additional safeguards, including welfare checks throughout the night.
“I believe that it is time to close Kendal Court. This is not a knee-jerk reaction, as suggested by the chair of the Housing Committee.
“The frequency of deaths over several years is evidence that placing people away from the city, with limited support, is a recipe for tragedy.
“The city council has the perfect opportunity to do so as the contract for the provision of such emergency accommodation is due to be recommissioned this year.
“I call on the council to make a clear and unambiguous statement that Kendal Court will not feature in its commissioning plans and that it will be closed.”
East Sussex County Council has said that it was considering taking legal action against Brighton and Hove City Council, with the council also having placed hundreds of people in Eastbourne.
But the increase in “out of area” placements has been blamed on the sudden pressure to find emergency and temporary housing for homeless people when the first coronavirus lockdown was announced.
At the time the government set out a policy known as “everyone in” to try to limit the spread of covid-19 among rough sleepers and those in hostel dormitories.
The Kendal Court contract pre-dates the pandemic, and a report to members of Brighton and Hove City Council in November 2018 said that there was a significant drug dealing issue at Kendal Court, leading to incidences of relapse.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We were very sorry to learn of the recent death of a resident of Kendal Court. It’s very sad news.
“The death did not occur in Kendal Court. We’re offering support to other residents in the accommodation and staff who knew the deceased.
“The deceased had been receiving support from us. We are currently supporting their support worker, who is extremely upset by what has happened.
“We send our deepest sympathy to their friends and family and all the staff who worked to support them.
“Being homeless obviously can be very difficult for the individuals involved who are often dealing with a number of other problems.
“We work extremely hard to help people avoid this situation, and to support them when they are homeless.
“Kendal Court is self-contained short-term accommodation which has been subject to a number of improvements. But the quality of accommodation is usually only one factor affecting the wellbeing of residents particularly when they are homeless.
“It is a dangerous and simplistic assumption to make a causal link between a person’s wellbeing and their accommodation.
“We have a dedicated welfare officer team supporting all homeless households in our emergency and short-term accommodation both within and outside of the city.
“We are in regular contact with health colleagues in East Sussex County Council and voluntary and support agencies in the Newhaven area to ensure people placed in the area are supported, and to consider any arising issues.”
In September, Healthwatch East Sussex, a statutory health and care watchdog, said: “We found
- a need for robust needs assessments prior to placement
- a high prevalence of poor mental health among residents
- haphazard provision of essential information and equipment to new residents
- placements not meeting the needs of people with complex mental health needs
- residents requiring support experiencing barriers in accessing services
…
“We did identify improvements in the site and its operation since our last review in 2018, including enhanced site security, upgraded facilities, fewer attendances by emergency services and weekly visits by the Brighton and Hove City Council welfare officer.
“While over half of residents were pleased with the accommodation, many expressed concerns that support needs, especially in relation to mental health, were not being met.
“Kendal Court is a site leased and operated by Brighton and Hove City Council to provide up to 50 tenants with Emergency/Temporary Accommodation.
“Residents come from a range of locations, diverse backgrounds (including prison and rough sleepers), and have varying social and physical needs.
“Healthwatch has made 11 recommendations which respond to these issues. We propose that
- individuals with multiple and complex needs should not be placed at Kendal Court
- thorough housing placement assessments should consider all health and care needs
- mental health support should be pro-actively provided
- clear and consistent information should be provided to all residents in advance of arrival
- resident’s experiences are independently monitored
…
“Our findings and recommendations have been submitted to the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board.
“The report has also been shared with Brighton and Hove City Council and other local stakeholders.”
So who’s going in there?
And where do the “ex” homeless go ? a 4 star hotel at our expense ?
Why not, the dinghy-grants are.
Take a look at the new places set up in The Drive, accommodating the trakkie clad gangs.
Personally I am pleased that there is a dedicated place to house theese individuals.
In the past they have been imflicted on the residents in council blocks where all too often the flat has rapidly turned into a crack house or rallying point for every junkie and nonce for miles around, causing misery to all the other residents.