A HOMELESSNESS charity has been left without a home after developers told it to make way for a multi-million pound housing complex.

Sussex Homeless Support, which helps rough sleepers in the county, is based in a unit in Hove’s Sackville Trading Estate.

But along with the charity Help For Veterans, it has been asked to leave so a planned development called A La Moda – a swish multi-storey “urban village” comprising nearly 600 flats – can be built.

On Wednesday, the charity’s boss Jim Deans and Nick Zaver, who runs Help For Veterans, were alarmed when a bright red container marked ‘demolition’ appeared outside their doors.

Mr Deans said: “We’ve been told we’ve got to be out by a week from today. We don’t have a choice. We’ve got a team of people packing up right now.

“They’re going to bring bulldozers through this building, but we’ve not signed a contract for a new place yet.

“All we’re asking them to do is give us the time we need to move out. But the developers are causing the charity extra aggravation. We don’t need this.”

Like Mr Zaver, Mr Deans said he had been asked to sign a contract promising to move out in exchange for more time on the estate.

He said: “They made us sign a new contract just before Christmas. All our stuff was in the building and we had no choice but to sign and agree to leave.

“I run a homelessness charity. Nobody wants housing in this city more than I do. We pay our money to the owners every quarter, and we’ve never grumbled, but I don’t understand why the developers are treating us like this.

“Why have we been given so little time when then our neighbours have got months?

“I’ve tried explaining to LaSalle and Moda Living, but they don’t respond.”

Sackville Trading Estate is owned by LaSalle Investment Management. A spokesman said the company is bringing tenancies in the estate to an end ahead of the redevelopment.

He said: “Many tenants have already vacated or are in the process of doing so. Sussex Homeless Support has occupied Unit 5 with our support since 2018 and their tenancy has always been on a temporary basis due to the pending redevelopment.

“While the tenant has recently applied for an extension to his period of occupation we have reached a stage in the redevelopment process where this cannot be granted.”