Housing costs push key workers out of the city

The charm of Brighton and Hove has come at a cost that many can no longer afford, some key workers have said.

Ophthalmic nurse Chidi Ezikpe moved with his family to the town of Peacehaven after his previous landlord increased their rent.

He said many colleagues had left their jobs at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust due to the cost of housing in the city.

The trust, Brighton & Hove City Council and Citizen's UK are working together on a proposal to turn the mostly derelict Brighton General Hospital into more than 700 new homes.

Ezikpe said he and his wife had to plan work shifts around their two young children and take on extra hours to meet their costs.

They now pay less for a larger place, but it is a 50-minute bus ride to work, he said.

"The major problem is housing. My colleagues were working loads of shifts just to end up giving the money over to someone as rent," he told Politics South East.

"They have little or nothing to keep themselves or spend on their family."

The NHS trust plans to create a modern health hub at the site of Brighton General Hospital, built in the 1800s, and sell off the rest of the land.

But campaigners are urging the trust not to sell to a private investor and instead use the space for affordable homes to help retain essential workers.

Claire Jarman, Cardinal Newman Catholic School head teacher and member of the Brighton and Hove branch of Citizen's UK, warned that the city risked losing talented teachers and support staff without affordable housing.

"Younger staff love Brighton, but many move on after a year or two because they can't afford to stay," she said.

"Even experienced staff take on extra work just to cover costs."

A-level student Nina Wolf said she wanted to return from university and teach in the city but feared she would be unable to without "inherited wealth or a very high salary".

"That's concerning for many young people who love this city," she said.

A Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said it welcomed the opportunity to work with local partners and the wider community as it explored the future of the Brighton General Hospital site.

"Our priority is to ensure that people in Brighton, and Sussex more widely, have access to the modern, high quality, community-based healthcare facilities they deserve," they said.

"We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with local organisations to make sure any plans for the site maximise the benefits for the community, both in terms of improved healthcare and wider public value."

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