Homeless people are causing misery for other families on the council waiting list.

The number of applications from homeless people to be given housing by Brighton and Hove Council has risen by almost 50 per cent in the last four years.

Even though the percentage of applications being accepted is falling, it puts huge pressure on the waiting list.

A new report to councillors says: "The majority of lettings and nominations by the council are to homeless households which in turn limits the ability to offer housing to people on the housing register."

Last year, out of 743 new lettings, 543, or more than 70 per cent, went to homeless people. There are 4,547 applicants on the waiting list and many of them are living in unsuitable and overcrowded places.

The report says: "The number of people remains very high and significantly beyond the capacity of the council to meet the level of need."

Housing need in Brighton and Hove is nearly twice the average for English districts and comparable to that in many London boroughs.

Previous reports have shown more than 13,000 households in Brighton and Hove need housing and cannot afford homes at market costs.

New analysis says the waiting will get worse. The report says the council would have to develop almost 20,000 affordable homes in the next decade to meet needs.

Figures show average wages in Brighton are almost £50 a week below the national average and £70 a week below the regional average.

Yet housing costs are soaring with a 140 per cent rise in the cost of buying the average three-bedroom house during the last three years and a 70 per cent rise for renting it.

The report says: "It is increasingly difficult for large sections of the local population to get decent housing at a market cost."