Vicky Spratt

On the subject of housing policy: homelessness is generally distinguished between rough sleeping, street homelessness and what’s known as ‘hidden homelessness’, that is, people living in temporary accommodation. These ‘hidden’ homeless have no place to call home but can be hidden from official statistics and aren’t always receiving support. They may be sofa-surfing, sleeping rough, squatting or sleeping on public transport. They may also not be recorded in temporary accommodation statistics. I don’t like the term ‘hidden homeless’ because these people are anything but invisible and the type of homelessness they face is just as dangerous as rough sleeping, albeit distinctively different. If this term is used in this book, it is because an expert, charity or researcher has used it.

Average House Price: In the year 2020/21 the majority of sales in Brighton were terraced properties, selling for an average of £520,111. Flats sold for an average of £306,081, with semi-detached properties fetching £489,681. Overall, sold prices in Brighton over the year were 15 per cent up on the previous year.

Average Private Rent: In 2021 the average rent for a one-bedroom home was £1,265, for a two-bed it was £1,750, and for a three-bed it was £2,087.