NEW figures show rent in Brighton and Hove has increased much faster than wages, pricing the city’s workers out of the housing market.

Statistics from the Government show rent has increased by almost 30 per cent in Brighton since 2011.

But the average salary in the city has only risen by eight per cent during the same period.

Paul Maloney, South East secretary for the GMB trade union, blamed Government mistakes and “Tory dogma” for the difficult housing market.

He said: “Council homes for rents at reasonable levels were aimed at housing the families of workers in the lower pay grades and did it successfully for generations.

“These were sold off, but crucially not replaced.

“Housing benefit was introduced instead to help pay rent for those on lower pay and the cost to the taxpayer has ballooned to more than £24 billion a year.

“It would have been far cheaper to build the council homes.

“The chickens are now coming home to roost on these policy mistakes.”

Brighton Housing Trust chief executive Andy Winter said the city’s housing market was “overheated” and blamed a lack of social housing for the rise in rent prices.

Government figures show Brighton and Hove City Council only built four homes for social rent between March 2017 and March 2018, compared with 142 “affordable” homes in the same period.

Homes for social rent are typically set at half of market rent, while “affordable” homes are limited at 80 per cent of the typical rate for a privately rented home.

But he also said workers moving from London, as well as Brighton’s booming student population, have not helped matters.

Mr Winter said: “If we are to have any hope of turning around this worsening crisis we need action from Government.

“Successive governments have to invest more in social housing, delivering homes people can afford to live in.

“And we need to see an end to the Right To Buy, which has seen the loss of social housing.

“Forty per cent of homes sold are being rented out privately at four or five times the previous price.

“Housing must once again become where people live, not merely an investment opportunity for the rich and very rich.”

Mr Winter said plans for 125 houses in Mile Oak and flats for 400 students in Moulsecoomb should both go ahead.

Brighton housing committee chairman John Allcock said Labour planned to build 800 council-rented homes in addition to 1,000 low-cost homes built by developer Hyde Housing over the next four years.

Green housing spokesman David Gibson said his party wanted to see rent based on what is affordable to residents, not based on the market rate.

He said: “A good start would be laws that allow councils in expensive areas like Brighton to set maximum rents and reduce this gradually over time. Private rents in the rest of Europe are lower than the UK and countries like Germany, Austria and Sweden achieve lower rents, more security for tenants and higher standards of private accommodation.”

Conservative housing spokeswoman Mary Mears was contacted for comment but did not respond.