In response to John Stephenson (Letters, July 26), Brighton and Hove City Council's policy does a great deal to address homelessness.

This includes a yearly homelessness budget of several million pounds as well as successfully obtaining almost another million in Government funding, which was the highest award south of London.

The council also works strategically with many other agencies, including Brighton Housing Trust, to reduce homelessness in the city.

The council has recently introduced changes which make a homeless application a last resort for a person or family in need.

Appropriate inquiries are made into each and every application to ensure they stand up to scrutiny, both legally and corporately, as the cost of the homelessness service is paid for by the council tax-payer.

We have to ensure the service is consistent and fair because housing is a scarce resource, which we cannot allocate without proper assessment.

In order to tackle the homelessness situation more effectively and in-line with government policy, the council is actively preventing households from becoming homeless. This is either by resolving any issues that are putting accommodation at risk or working with households to help them find alternative housing.

Putting some resources in at an early stage avoids the use of greater resources later on. If a household does end up in crisis and people become homeless, there are associated costs of being uprooted, in addition to the cost of accommodation.

For example, disruption to education and work and subsequent demand on the health service which households turn to when they are under stress and anxiety.

By working with people to help them find their own housing solutions, we are enabling them to have more choice over the area and type of accommodation in which they live.

-Councillor Jack Hazelgrove, chairman, Regeneration and Housing Committee, Brighton and Hove City Council