A council housing boss today made a plea to the Government for urgent help to solve the homes crisis.

Brighton and Hove has one of the highest proportions of homeless people in the country and the supply of rented housing is drying up because of the property boom.

Cabinet housing councillor Tehmtan Framroze has written a personal letter to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott urging him "to consider taking measures to alleviate the immediate crisis and to help us overcome the desperate shortage of affordable rented housing in the area."

Coun Framroze acknowledged the millions of pounds poured in by the Government aimed at reducing the number of rough sleepers, but added: "The underlying problems of homelessness are far greater and deserve at least the same level of commitment."

There are 550 families who have been registered as homeless in temporary housing and 230 of them are in emergency bed and breakfast hostels. Some other families do not meet the tough guidelines on being declared homeless but are entitled to temporary housing under other laws, such as the Children's Act. There is also a growing number of asylum seekers.

All this has swelled the overall total of families in temporary housing to about 800.

Coun Framroze added: "The housing market remains buoyant and some landlords will not let properties to housing benefit claimants.

"This not only creates homelessness but also limits our ability to provide housing.

"Other councils continue to place asylum seekers and homeless households in Brighton and Hove. The net result is that we are trying to place a growing number of households into a diminishing supply of available and affordable properties."

The council has earmarked £622,000 this year for temporary housing. This budget will be overspent by at least £676,000 and the figure will rise next year.

Coun Framroze said the council had done all it could to tackle the crisis.

His plea includes immediate cash to help meet the costs of temporary housing, reforming housing benefit laws to help low- income families and incentives for councils to liaise with others to solve problems on a regional basis. He has also invited Mr Prescott to visit Brighton and Hove.

Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper said he would help the council put its case.