The debate on rental and purchasing prices in Brighton and Hove is long overdue.

In recent times, the city has indeed become "London by the sea". For Charles Holcombe (Opinion, February 24) to deny it is incredible - except perhaps if one remembers he works for a property management company and it is in his interest for rental prices to be sky-high.

In answer to his question about Brighton and Hove City Council's duty to house the homeless, most of the blame can be placed at the previous government's door.

That government encouraged people to buy their council properties and then did not build any more social housing.

It also brought in Acts of Parliament withdrawing housing benefit from students and imposing the single-room rate for people under 25, thus creating a real homeless problem the council has found difficult to respond to.

I was born and bred in the city and have seen incredible changes in my 30 years as a Brightonian.

It is true there have been great improvements, such as the Europeanisation of the seafront, where it is now thoroughly enjoyable to stroll and have coffee.

However, Brighton has long been known as a bohemian place that attracts a diverse crowd of people to both live and visit. This, alas, is changing with the housing market hike.

Brighton and Hove is becoming a homogeneous city of middle-class professionals moving down from London.

Where are the impoverished artists and students going to live and rent studio spaces? Where are those families on low incomes trapped in the rental market going to live? Well, they will move. They will have to. And the city will be a worse place for it.

My mother moved from Brighton last year for this reason and my family and I intend to move too.

I earn £15,000, which I consider a fair wage, but I cannot afford to live here any more. I love this city and will miss it. Please sign Joanne Budden's petition, for Brighton's sake.

-Stephen Albion, Windlesham Road, Brighton