Kendal Court if you are not aware is a privately run self contained emergency accommodation building located in Newhaven East Sussex. Kendal court has been used by Brighton and Hove City Council to place homeless residents for the last 6 years or so. Residents report no facilities and support often feeling neglected, suicidal. Over the years I have heard about countless deaths from the residents placed at Kendal Court, with a lot overdosing and dying from drug and alcohol abuse. The picture is so bleak that two Independent reports into the accommodation and taking residents feedback have been created by Healthwatch Brighton these detail a lot of the issues at Kendal Court and should be read.
I will be looking into what I know about kendal court? I will detail who is being placed there and why? what previous residents of kendal court have told me over the years? What lessons and changes need to take place and why? and finally how we can hold those responsible for indirectly sending these individuals to their deaths to account?
2 Comments
Hi
I write this in the dark of night with an element of distress but this does not detract from the pain that is felt.
I think my brother Christopher may have been the last one to die there.
When I was told by Brighton and Hove (4 May 2022) that I could collect his things and that they would be available for me to examine and take and relinquish what I wished, I was presented with one suitcase. I was most confused so asked to see his room to which I was shown.
I had arrived unexpectedly early. There was a man in a hazmat suit and a spray water gun still cleaning and there was blood on the floor in the centre of the room. It was desolate. There was nothing for anyone other than a small assigned off toilet.
It was inhuman. And I did not know.
I had been told I might be able to take some of his belongings. But they had all been thrown away.
I, and my friend, latterly riffled through a skip to which we had been pointed towards to find something, anything, which belonged to him. Thankfully we did.
It was humiliating for me. How must it have been for my brother, Chris.
I was living there from 2018- 2019
It was hell I won’t speak of of my experiences here but but by God I would like to let someone who is responsible for placing people there is a total dereliction of human rights.. as a woman in recovery from Alcohol addiction I was constantly seeing and hearing the consequences of other tenants who were in active addiction it was a traumatic experience for me
Prior to Kendall court I was placed in Percival Terrace which was also a place where alcohol and drugs were everywhere, I was given a room with a shower that only delivered cold water a bed that had a mattress where springs were broken and actually poking through, I was recovering from a mental breakdown and I never thought I’d make it out of there without losing my sobriety, I do not exaggerate to say it was degrading dirty dark halls with dark narrow stairs as a was given a room at top of house surrounded by younger people using drugs and alcohol, there was a constant odour of marijuana.. pure hell .. Meanwhile Brighton and Hove council have an “ arrangement with the Owner who is making million’s.. 60 rooms at almost 200 per week, another temporary accommodation where the landlord is earning excessive rents and does not care about the people at all . It’s a moneymaking scheme that the Government and councils allow to continue..