Councils across the whole country need to be more realistic in the cost of their rents (The Argus, February 18).

In North Portslade, private rents are above £850 pcm for a two-bedroom house. So why does the council charge less than £390 pcm?

Many homeowners here struggle and do not run a car, compared with council tenants, who have no bills for boilers, doors or maintenance and can afford to drive a car.

How about Brighton and Hove City Council charges £125 per week in rent and forgets about the bedroom tax?

Harry Miles, Valley Road, Mile Oak

The Government’s unfair and unjustifiable bedroom tax proposals are so heavy-handed that foster carers who perhaps don’t have a child living with them all year round will lose out if there is an unoccupied bedroom in their home.

Sheltered housing will also potentially be affected, as will people with disabilities who have part-time live-in carers.

What’s more, as my Parliamentary questions have revealed, the Government has failed to even consider whether its policy of saying that affected tenants should simply move into smaller properties is possible. It hasn’t bothered to check whether there are sufficient smaller properties to house them.

This is a dangerous and unfair measure which will lead to overcrowding, forcing families apart and undermining community cohesion.

I am fighting hard on behalf of Brighton Pavilion constituents to oppose the Government’s bedroom tax and calling on ministers to, at the very least, increase its funding for the discretionary housing allowance, so those unable to pay do not become homeless.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion