Almost 800 families have been helped on to the housing ladder in Sussex through Government schemes since their introduction nearly two years ago, figures have revealed.

Between April 2006 and the end of January this year, 786 contracts were signed under HomeBuy shared equity schemes in the county - including more than 250 in Brighton and Hove.

The figures, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, show 131 deals were agreed in East Sussex and 396 in West Sussex.

But Brighton politicians said they believed more people could be benefiting from the schemes and urged frustrated would-be home owners to check their eligibility.

The three schemes - Social HomeBuy, Open Market HomeBuy and New Build HomeBuy - are open to social tenants, front-line public sector workers like teachers and nurses, and many other first-time buyers who live in the area.

They are designed to offer those who cannot afford to buy on the private market a chance to get their own place by either purchasing a share of a home - as little as one quarter of its full value - and paying subsidised rent on the rest or taking out an equity loan to reduce the size of conventional mortgage required. When the home is sold any growth in value is shared by the buyer and provider.

Examples of the New Build scheme include 19 two and three-bedroom apartments currently on offer to first time buyers in the new City Point building next to Brighton Station. Purchase prices for the two-bedroom flats, with a full market value of £275,000, start at £123,750 for a 45 per cent share.

For more information about HomeBuy schemes in Sussex, contact the Government-appointed HomeBuy agent Moat on 07002 662846 or go to www.moat.co.uk.

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