The increasing number of people needing housing in Brighton and Hove means up to 40 homeless people are having to be relocated outside of the city.

Homeless families and individuals in the city are being temporarily rehoused in Eastbourne, Southwick and Peacehaven.

Brighton and Hove City Council uses bed and breakfast places in Eastbourne, two flats leased in Southwick and a block of ten flats in Peacehaven to house people.

This overflow accommodation is in addition to 700 leased properties and 200 bed and breakfast places available in the city as temporary housing.

The council said that between 20 and 40 people were being housed outside the city at any one time.

The authority has responded by attempting to increase the amount of temporary accommodation in the city over the last few months to meet the rising demand.

Reduced numbers of beds at mental health facilities are also forcing bosses to relocate patients outside the city.

A Brighton woman, who asked not to be named, told The Argus her son had to be taken to a mental health facility in Eastbourne because there were no beds available in Brighton and Hove.

Recent changes by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust mean there are now fewer beds for mental health patients under the age of 45 at Mill View Hospital, Hove.

She said when she visited her son last month, seven other patients were also from Brighton and Hove.

A Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said at present four patients were being cared for outside of Brighton.

He added: “For clinical reasons we may need to admit patients from Brighton and Hove to inpatient facilities in Sussex to ensure that patients can be provided with the most suitable environment to meet their clinical need.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said that every effort was made to ensure disruption to families in particular was kept at a minimum.

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