THERE has been another death at a troubled block of flats where the council sends homeless people to live.

The body of a resident in Kendal Court, Newhaven, was reportedly found on Friday and the cause of death is being investigated.

It comes after East Sussex County Council (ESCC) said it has "significant concerns" about the way Brighton and Hove City Council places homeless people in the county.

Conservative housing spokeswoman on the city council, Mary Mears, said: "I think it's really sad bearing in mind this is not the first fatality we've had in the building.

"If the resident has family, anybody, they must be really really upset to receive this news."

READ MORE: 'Worse than jail': residents on life inside Kendal Court

The clash between the two councils centred around the use of court where eight residents died between 2016 and 2018, as short term emergency accommodation.

ESCC said it was an inappropriate place for people with complex needs based on coroner’s verdicts and an independent report commissioned after the deaths of residents.

Cllr Mears added: "For me, there is obviously something with the culture of Kendal Court.

"In the past, we've had frightened residents. They would stay in the daytime and go somewhere else in the nighttime.

"There is an issue in what these residents are experiencing."

There are also concerns about the number of placements Brighton and Hove City Council is making in Eastbourne and other areas of Lewes.

The Argus:

Brighton and Hove City Council placed 320 homeless households into central Eastbourne or Lewes district “without adequate support”, since the Everyone In initiative in March 2020.

A council spokesman said: “We were very sorry to learn of the recent death of a resident of Kendal Court. Our hearts go out to their loved ones, and also to the social care staff who were supporting them.

READ MORE: Councils clash over Kendal Court

“To our knowledge the cause of death is not known at this stage. This will be investigated.

“Each instance of homelessness is a tragedy for the individuals involved. We work extremely hard to help people avoid this situation, and to support them when they do.

“ We try to accommodate people within Brighton and Hove where we can, and are working to develop more options within the city.

“Over the last few months we opened our first council-owned and managed high quality emergency accommodation block within the city. However the scale of demand for accommodation is in excess of what we can provide within the city at the current time.

“Kendal Court is self-contained short-term accommodation which is of a relatively good quality. But the quality of accommodation is only one factor affecting residents’ wellbeing.

“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 also exploring a travel support scheme for residents out of city to connect with community and services.

“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.”