More homeless people from Brighton placed in Eastbourne
Nearly 200 homeless households from Brighton and Hove are in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne despite an accusation of “scant regard” for their wellbeing.
Figures show a rising trend by Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) of housing people in Eastbourne.
In October 2023, there were 42 placements from BHCC in the town. In May this year, there were 172. And in early September this year, there were 191 households, according to figures supplied to the Eastbourne Reporter.
BHCC states that it does not have a policy of placing people outside the city, blaming the “severe housing crisis”. It says it has no choice but to use out-of-city emergency placements.
But Eastbourne Borough Council leader Cllr Stephen Holt has accused BHCC of showing “scant regard” for the wellbeing of people it places in accommodation in the town.
Some vulnerable homeless people under the care of BHCC have died while in accommodation in Eastbourne. There should be weekly welfare checks on them.
Two men placed by BHCC died at the 16-bedroom Ellesmere hotel in Wilmington Square, Eastbourne, earlier this year.
And in February last year, a safeguarding review was launched after a vulnerable 25-year-old tenant from Brighton and Hove called Oliver died in Eastbourne.
Tensions over the practice of placing homeless people in Eastbourne continue to rise between the two councils.
Cllr Holt raised the issue again at a recent Cabinet meeting in Eastbourne (24 September).
He was commenting in the context of a BHCC proposal within local government reorganisation to expand to East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven and Falmer to enlarge its population.
Town and parish councils in those areas have strongly rejected Brighton's proposal.
Cllr Holt said: “My view is that Brighton and Hove have shown scant regard for the residents of Sussex but I’m not surprised any more given that their leadership ... shows scant regard for the wellbeing of 200 residents who they place an hour away in temporary accommodation [in Eastbourne].
“Not content with tearing apart the support structures of the most vulnerable who rely on services that Brighton and Hove should provide, they want to tear apart the communities of Sussex. I am incredibly disappointed by the activities of Brighton and Hove City Council.”
A safeguarding review last year following the death of Oliver, 25, placed in Eastbourne, reported that he died when there were no welfare checks for more than a month because of staff leave, with no cover provided. It is understood welfare checks should be carried out on a weekly basis.
Oliver had also received a letter telling him that he was being discharged from the Brighton and Hove mental health support service due to being ‘out of area’, even though it was the council who had moved him, against his wishes.
The bodies of Daniel Ginsberg, 60, and Stephen Carr, 38, were found within eight days of each other at the Ellesmere Hotel in Wilmington Square on April 28 and May 6 respectively.
In July, deputy Eastbourne council leader Cllr Peter Diplock wrote to East Sussex coroner Fiona King, expressing his concerns over the placement of people in the town.
He wrote: “I believe a consistent pattern has been established where BHCC do not take responsibility for their most vulnerable and challenging clients, leaving them to fend for themselves, and die, in towns many miles away.”
The Eastbourne Reporter asked BHCC the following questions and received these responses:
How many homeless / vulnerable people does BHCC currently house in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne?
“At the beginning of September 2025, there were 191 homeless households placed in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne.
“The council maintains regular reporting and communication with neighbouring authorities, including Eastbourne Borough Council, and shares formal Section 208 reports on each placement.” [Section 208 requires authorities to secure accommodation in their district “in so far as is reasonably practicable”].
Does BHCC intend to continue with this policy of placing people out of area? If so, until when?
Cllr Gill Williams, Cabinet member for housing at BHCC, said: “This council does not have a policy of placing people outside of the city and prioritises keeping people within Brighton & Hove where at all possible.
“We are doing all we can to increase our council-owned and managed emergency accommodation in the city, as well as increasing the number of council-rented homes through new builds, redevelopment and buying-back homes sold under the Right to Buy.
“However, Brighton & Hove, like many UK councils, is grappling with a severe housing crisis driven by national issues such as inflated housing markets and a lack of affordable housing.
“Due to the unprecedented scale of need, the demand for emergency and temporary accommodation far exceeds the amount of accommodation available to us in the city, and we have no choice but to use out-of-city emergency placements.
“This is a common practice among large councils facing similar pressures and is not unique to Brighton & Hove.
“We also do all we can to return people who are in emergency placements outside of the city to Brighton & Hove when possible.”
I asked for an interview with Cllr Williams but was told the council would not comment further in advance of full inquests into the deaths of the two men at The Ellesmere.
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