As the housing crisis in Brighton and Hove becomes ever worse, the council and the Government insist on pursuing the same discredited free market solutions.

If the main reasons for homelessness are evictions and loss of private rented accommodation, then the solution is to return to the situation pre-Thatcher whereby private tenants had security of tenure.

Not only is it outrageous that people can be evicted with two months' notice from somewhere they have been living for years in order that it can be sold at an inflated price to London yuppies, but it fuels the very house price inflation which is forcing low-paid workers out of Brighton and Hove.

Instead of building council houses once again in order to meet the desperate shortage of good quality, affordable housing, the council is trying to transfer its entire housing stock to the private sector or housing associations.

The only result of this will be an increase in rents and even less social housing being made available.

What the article didn't mention is the fact that Brighton and Hove is one of ten local authorities taking part in a new housing benefit pilot project in February 2004.

What this will mean is the payment of a flat amount of housing benefit to people, regardless of the market rent or individual circumstances.

The scheme has been sold on the basis that those who pay lower rents than the standard will pocket the difference.

In practice, landlords will increase their rents to meet the new reference rents and once again this will lead to rent inflation and those on benefits or low wages will lose out.

We urge the council to follow the lead of at least one other council and pull out of this scheme now.

-Tony Greenstein, secretary, Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre, Crestway Parade, Hollingdean