Citizens Group Challenges Brighton & Hove Council On Housing Needs

An organisation representing thousands of people in Brighton and Hove has called on the council to make more local homes affordable, more for key workers and to create more of a sense of community.

Brighton and Hove Citizens challenged councillors to support its campaign at the organisation’s “accountability assembly” yesterday (Thursday 25 April).

Chidi Ezikpe, a nurse practitioner at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, shared his experience of struggling to pay rent during the meeting at the Brighton Salvation Army Congress Hall.

When he arrived in Brighton, it took Mr Ezikpe months to get a viewing and the costs were “ridiculously high”.

He said:

“As a couple, my wife and I had to make a lot of sacrifices to be able to afford a fairly decent place to live.

“It became even harder when we had a baby daughter and needed a bigger apartment. The only way we could afford somewhere was we had to work more shifts and even through our annual leave.

“It feels like we’re working all the time to pay rent and we are unable to save anything or plan ahead.

“We have to sacrifice family time together because we are always working to keep up with the rent.

“The high cost of housing in Brighton and Hove is making it impossible for me to live and work here.”

Mr Ezikpe considered moving to a cheaper part of the country. He told the assembly how recently more than 10 of his nursing colleagues have relocated to less expensive areas.

The high cost of housing is reflected in the decrease in the number of international nurses working at the hospital. He said that the number had dropped from more than 200 to fewer than 100.

Mr Ezikpe said that he believed things could change and the alliance of Brighton and Hove Citizens could provide a solution.

The leader of Brighton Congress Hall, Salvation Army captain Kate Gregory, said that Brighton and Hove could not afford to lose skilled key workers like Mr Ezikpe.

Captain Gregory said:

“We’re tired of being priced out and being made to live in areas where the soul of our wonderful city is just being quashed.

“At the moment, developers that build big buildings cross the city don’t live here, don’t know the city well and don’t think much of us as people but think a lot about the money they can earn here and take out.”

She said that unaffordable housing was driving people away from their friends and family in Brighton and Hove and putting the community and schools under pressure, with two schools closing because of falling pupil numbers.

Captain Gregory said that no developer had met their affordable housing targets set during the planning process in recent years.

Brighton and Hove City Council aims for 40 per cent of homes in larger schemes to be classed as affordable.

Labour councillor Gill Williams, who chairs the council’s Housing and New Homes Committee, accepted a large piggy bank, a key and a sculpture to show a commitment to affordable housing, key worker homes and developments with a sense of community.

Councillor Williams said:

“I live and breathe housing. I’ve been a housing campaigner. I’m chair of housing and my vision for our city is to get everybody a decent home to live in.

“Everyone deserves a decent, secure and affordable home. I will leave no stone unturned in this city to achieve that.”

Councillor Williams agreed to work with Brighton and Hove Citizens on its goals of affordability, homes for key workers and community.

The Brighton and Hove Citizens called for

• Schemes to include a minimum of 40 per cent affordable homes – and 50 per cent if built on public land
• A quarter of affordable homes to be available at “living rents” based on income
• Half of the affordable homes to be family homes
• All new homes to be “primary residences” not second homes or holiday homes
• Priority for key workers
• Incentives for people to downsize to release family homes