Brighton And Hove Council Proposes Using Empty Homes For Temporary Housing

Brighton and Hove City Council is consulting on plans to use empty council homes as temporary accommodation for up to a year.

An initial scheme has already seen 80 vacant homes used to house people from mid-January until 1 May, and the council is now considering extending the scheme and adding another 100 empty properties.

The city has seen a sharp rise in households needing emergency or temporary housing, now totaling more than 2,100, with 40% including children.

The council acknowledges the scheme will affect social housing availability and could delay moves for some people currently on the housing register.

Rising demand, limited supply, and increasing nightly rates have contributed to a £6 million overspend in 2025-26.

Using the 80 empty homes is estimated to save around £750,000 by reducing reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation and providing more stable housing for families.

Some of the council homes already in use are flats in blocks built using “large panel systems,” which are scheduled for demolition and redevelopment in the coming years.

A council report says the proposals aim to “keep families in the city, reduce disruptive moves and limit the time households spend in unsuitable accommodation,” supporting the city’s longer-term Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

If approved, the total number of council-owned temporary housing units would rise from 959 to 1,280.

Nightly paid spot-purchased housing could fall from 465 units this year to 90 by 2029-30, while block-booked housing would increase from 644 to around 920 units.

Leased temporary housing is expected to reduce slightly, from 550 to 500 units.

The council has already entered a six-year £19 million contract with the organisation Base One to help house homeless people as part of its cost-reduction strategy.

The proposals will be considered by the council’s People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday before going to cabinet on 23 April. A public consultation on the plans is open until 1 April.