A HOMELESS community has pitched up in the city centre after rough sleepers said they are safer on the street than in some hostels.

Following the Brighton March for the Homeless on Wednesday, about a dozen tents appeared in the Old Steine gardens in Brighton.

The aim of the camp is to give rough sleepers a community where they feel safe, according to co-ordinator of the site Josh Scott.

He said: “Given a lot of people’s situation, it’s safer for them to be on the street than in hostels.

“It’s not just about the number of empty buildings, but the sheer number of homeless people in Brighton and Hove.

“That’s why we’ve set this up, to give people a little community. Giving them somewhere they can go to look after each other.

“The problem is that the council and police seem to think the solution to homelessness is just to move the problem on.”

Mr Scott said the public has reacted positively to their protest camp. When The Argus visited shortly after 9am yesterday, there were a number of campers drinking cider.

Karim Mikail, manager of the Old Steine Cafe, said the camp had not affected his business adding that he is very supportive of the protest.

He said: “I know some of them from the park generally, and a load of them don’t actually know the core root of the problem.

“I’ve been over and talked to them and I support what they are doing.”

Mr Scott added: “Quite a lot of them are here because of decisions the council has made in the past, and although they’re trying to sort it out now, there’s still a backlog of people left homeless.

“They’ve had bad family relations and have been kicked out of their homes at a young age.

“Hostels are not suitable for some of the people given their situation and there is a lack of them.

“Places like First Base are great, but they’re not open all the time.”

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Andy Winter, chief executive of the Brighton Housing Trust (BHT), which operates First Base, said: “Rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove has become a political and public priority. “Through partnerships and co-operation that exists within the city we have prevented the situation becoming much worse. “We do not see street homelessness as a viable or valid lifestyle choice and have absolutely no interest in seeing people stay on the streets.

“The work of First Base is aimed at helping people to get off the streets and to bring about change that leads to housing and employment.”