The Council’s Legal Duties
Brighton and Hove City Council has legal duties under the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 to assist people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. These duties include providing housing advice and assistance, helping people prevent their homelessness where possible, and providing accommodation to those who are homeless and in priority need. Understanding these duties is important for anyone seeking help from the council.
Housing Options Team
The Housing Options team is the main point of contact for anyone facing homelessness in Brighton. You can contact them by phone, email, or in person. When you contact the team, they will carry out an assessment of your needs and work with you to develop a personalised housing plan. This plan will set out the steps that both you and the council will take to prevent or relieve your homelessness.
Temporary Accommodation
If you are homeless and have a priority need that the council has a duty to assist, you may be placed in temporary accommodation while a longer-term solution is found. Temporary accommodation in Brighton includes bed and breakfasts, hostels, and council-managed properties. The quality and location of temporary accommodation varies significantly, and being placed in temporary accommodation can be deeply disruptive, particularly for families with children.
The Brighton and Hove Rough Sleeping Strategy
Brighton and Hove City Council has a dedicated rough sleeping strategy that sets out how the council and its partners will work to reduce rough sleeping in the city. This includes investment in outreach teams that work on the streets, coordinated access to accommodation and support services, and efforts to tackle the underlying causes of rough sleeping.
Working with the Voluntary Sector
The council does not work in isolation — it partners with a wide range of voluntary sector organisations, including Seaside CIC, to deliver homelessness services. This partnership approach is essential to providing the comprehensive, person-centred support that people experiencing homelessness need.
Seaside CIC works closely with Brighton and Hove City Council on homelessness. Contact us to find out how we can help you.
