I am writing regarding the appalling lack of affordable housing. It is becoming more and more difficult, particularly for younger people, to purchase their first property.

Increasingly, we hear of grown-up children being unable to leave home and gain their independence by getting a place of their own.

The high cost of property in Brighton and Hove means young people have no control over their own lives, unless they go off to university at 18 - and many do not.

In North Portslade 807 out of 7,316 people have a degree or diploma. This is about 11 per cent of the population and even they will struggle.

There is a known, clear relationship between qualifications and higher earnings, and many people in this area will not be in the higher earnings bracket.

My 21-year-old daughter, who is working full-time in banking, earns £16,000 a year. We recently looked at how much she could borrow if she was to buy a place of her own here in Portslade.

Information available at www.abbey.com revealed she could borrow £48,000 if she had a five per cent deposit. A further search for property reveals that the cheapest property currently available in Portslade costs £89,995 and is a studio flat.

As a recently-qualified nurse, I earn £18,698 a year. On this wage I could get a mortgage for £56,094, which is still nowhere near enough.

My daughter and other young adults in this city have little chance of becoming independent unless things change.

Even people who do have degrees and diplomas will struggle to buy their first property here. We need more affordable housing for key workers and, as far as I'm concerned, this includes bank and shop workers and others we couldn't do without.

Believe me, a hungry nurse with no bank is no good to anybody, least of all the NHS.

-Nicole Murphy, Portslade