Temporary housing reaches four-year high – council

The number of families in temporary housing in Brighton has hit a four-year high, the local council has said.

In the last seven months of 2025, more than 2,000 families were in temporary housing each month, reaching a high of 2,170 in November and December, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Brighton & Hove City Council's draft budget to be presented before the council's overview and scrutiny committees next Monday forecasts the cost of temporary accommodation will rise by £12m in 2026-27.

Paul Nann, cabinet adviser on homelessness, said: "We have continued to see an increase in demand for our homelessness support services, including temporary accommodation."

Nann said the council's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025 to 2030 focusses on early intervention services.

"We made a significant investment in this area and will continue to do all we can to support people in secure, affordable and quality housing," he said.

The local authority said it was working to reduce the pressure on the budget by £5m, including increasing the supply of temporary housing by block booking accommodation rather than spot-purchasing, which is more expensive.

The council added it was also working to accelerate moves from temporary homes to social housing by forming a new advice team to assess families.

Last month, it said it was reviewing its portfolio of land, property and other assets, with a view to raise £30m in the next three years.

This included properties such as the old Slipper Baths, in Barrack Yard, which could be turned into housing.

In October, the cabinet agreed to buy 13 homes for temporary housing to save £164,000 a year.

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