Cabinet will vote on 12 November on buying or leasing up to 500 homes for the 2,358 Brighton & Hove households in temporary housing. Figures from the report.

Brighton & Hove City Council wants to buy or lease up to 500 homes to house families it currently places in costly private accommodation. There were 2,358 households in temporary accommodation in the city in October.

Cabinet will vote on the three-year programme at 10.30am on Thursday 12 November (agenda). It would start in April 2027. The figures below come from the officers’ report.

How the 500 homes would be found

The report proposes a flexible mix:

  • up to 100 homes bought by the council
  • up to 400 homes leased for ten years or more from specialist providers

Officers say the split could change with market conditions and viability. Cabinet would also spend £110,000 on a business case for bulk leasing, which the report calls “a new delivery mechanism”. A further report would come back before any leasing deal is agreed.

Separately, Cabinet is asked for an extra £24.324 million this year for the existing buy-back scheme. Commitments under that scheme are projected at £43.596 million, against £19.272 million of available funding. The report expects 103 homes to be bought for temporary accommodation in 2026/27.

Where families are living now, and where the council wants them

Type of accommodation 5 October 2026 Projected March 2030
Council controlled 889 1,389
Supported exempt accommodation 0 500
Spot purchase 373 50
Block booking 563 151
Private leased 533 350
Total households 2,358 2,440

The total keeps rising in the council’s own model. So this is a plan to change what the money buys, not a plan to end the use of temporary housing. The report says the projection will be reviewed each year and could change.

Spot purchase fell from 26% of the total in January to 16% in September, according to the report. For comparison, official figures recorded 2,027 households at 31 March. That is a government count and may not be measured the same way as the council’s October figure.

Why the council wants this

The council expects to spend about £16.939 million net this year on temporary accommodation from outside providers:

  • £5.451 million on spot purchase
  • £9.150 million on block bookings
  • £2.338 million on private leasing

The report says the programme contributes to a £5.140 million savings target on temporary accommodation. It warns that those savings could be delayed if homelessness rises beyond the forecasts.

The money matters beyond housing. The council’s latest budget report forecasts a £26.446 million overspend this year.

What it means for you

If you are in temporary accommodation, nothing changes yet. The first homes under this programme would come from April 2027. Officers say council-controlled homes should be more stable than nightly-paid placements, which the report says occupants often see as insecure.

If you are worried about losing your home, contact the council’s housing team as early as you can. Anyone can read the papers on the council’s committee site.