Buying back more council houses through our Home Purchase Policy

We have bought back 3 houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Moulsecoomb & Bevendean which are being converted into family homes with one for use as temporary accommodation. 

The properties, which were built as council houses between the 1930s and 1950s, were previously sold to occupants through the government’s Right to Buy scheme. 

Home Purchase Policy 

Since April 2025, we have bought back 100 council homes lost under Right to Buy through our Home Purchase Policy, enabling us to better support residents most impacted by the cost of living crisis or living insecure housing. 

This brings the total number of homes bought back into council ownership since the policy was introduced in 2017 to more than 500 properties.

All homes bought back through the Home Purchase Policy are advertised on Homemove, our social housing platform, or directly allocated as temporary accommodation for households in immediate housing need. 

Much-needed family homes

Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “One of our top priorities as a council is ensuring residents can access secure, affordable and decent housing.

“Our Home Purchase Policy is a really valuable way of helping increase our supply of council-rented properties, enabling us to add hundreds of much-needed family homes and temporary accommodation to the council's housing supply.

“These 3 latest properties were originally designed as family homes, so I'm really proud that we are returning them to their original purpose, giving more security to some of the most vulnerable households in Brighton & Hove.”

Local Authority Housing Fund

We’ve been allocated an additional £9.2 million through the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund: Round 4 (LAHF 4) to provide an extra 46 homes across the city over the next 4 years, consisting of 28 temporary accommodation and 18 resettlement family homes.