Housing management committee chairman Councillor Jack Hazelgrove (Letters, February 7) did not comment on council housing being passed to RSL or whether council housing would be built in the future by Brighton and Hove City Council.

As for the proposed £12 million to be spent in 2003/4 on ongoing maintenance, what has happened to Denmark Road since the 1985 survey?

Why has none of the monies made available been spent on these properties? These blocks of flats have been allowed to deteriorate for so long.

Now a whole community has to be evacuated to other accommodation, not all of it council, through the neglect of the council in not eradicating the problem sooner.

If the works to Denmark Road had been undertaken 20 years ago, it would have cost a fraction of what it would today.

The Private Sector Leasing Scheme set up by the council is Chichester Diocesan Housing Association.

It has 150 properties in the city and expects to obtain 50 more by the end of this month to house people while awaiting the council to do so.

I say again, why are we not building council-owned accommodation for the young families of this city?

We have only 13,000 council-owned properties in the city. As for falling into disrepair, come and look at Denmark Road with its 20 years of council neglect.

-H Forest, Denmark Road, Portslade