SEX offenders and sexual and domestic abuse survivors have been housed in the same block 15 miles from the city.

County council papers claim Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) has housed two registered sex offenders at Kendal Court in Newhaven.

The troubled housing block, which has seen a series of deaths over the past few years, has also been home to some of the city's most vulnerable, including victims domestic abuse.

Yesterday, The Argus reported on a sexual abuse victim who was housed in the block that was offered sex by a man in return for cash on her first night at the accommodation.

The East Sussex County Council (ESCC) Health and Wellbeing Board papers also show that its chiefs believe BHCC's assessment and support for people prior to placing them in temporary accommodation was not adequate.

The report from July 13 states: "An ongoing challenge in providing a safe and supportive environment in Kendal Court is the wide range of needs of the people being placed by BHCC.

"This ranges from those with complex mental health needs, to those that have experienced domestic abuse and individuals that are being released from prison, two of which are registered sex offenders.

"In the context of these deaths and multiple complex referrals, ESCC does not share the BHCC view that current arrangements for assessing and supporting people prior to placing them in temporary accommodation are adequate."

The report does not state when the sex offenders were housed there and does not state that there are any living there at the moment.

Homeless campaigner Jim Deans says the 50-unit accommodation in Railway Road is the equivalent of a "ghetto" where people are "dumped and abandoned".

This comes after a body was found at the block on the morning of Friday, July 23.

Mr Deans, who runs Sussex Homeless Support, said: "You get dumped there, there's no support.

"Surely you should get a travel warrant to get back into the city, but the council refused point-blank unless it is an official appointment.

"I know a lot about Kendal Court, from people living here. I've been in there myself, I've been in the rooms.

"It's not a bad place but the problem is that there's no support and you can't even get your clothes washed."

The discovery of the body last week adds to the grim death toll at the court, where eight residents died between 2016 and 2018 alone.

Mr Deans said: "We're into the 20s now, the last I heard was that it was 28 in the last four years.

"I've heard the people say 'well at least it's better than nothing'.

"Sometimes nothing is better than something, regardless of the fact you have a roof over your head."

Mr Deans added: "They feel abandoned and dumped. You have to treat people like you're going to give them a hand up and help them.

"Dumping people in a ghetto does completely the opposite."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "We do not discuss the circumstances of individual residents. There are no female residents at Kendal Court.

"We fulfil our statutory health and welfare responsibilities with regards to people we place in Kendal Court, and have the correct placement and assessment processes in place.

"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 in regular contact with appropriate colleagues at East Sussex County Council and we arrange very regular meetings with all agencies involved in supporting the residents of Kendal Court.

"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. However the scale of demand for accommodation is in excess of what we can provide within the city at the current time.”