if anything will motivate us to vote in three weeks time, it will be housing issues. Housing is rarely out of the news.

In the past week, The Argus has front-paged the empty homes problem, house prices and the state of Brighton and Hove City Council properties.

This is the quietest election ever because the electorate has lost confidence in its power to make things happen.

But Brighton and Hove is of national significance. Brighton could be the first area in the country to return a Green - Keith Taylor for Pavilion.

If Nicholas Boles wins in Hove, this will be a turning point for the Conservatives - as it was when Labour took Hove eight years ago.

Many housing issues can actually be decided at the local level, for example, levels of affordable housing, supply of rooms for single people, development of a variety of tenures and incentives for private landlords.

We want to know:

Do candidates support six-month tenancies?

Do they condemn forfeiture for leaseholders?

Do they want a variety of tenures?

More co-operative housing?

Housing for single people?

Licensing of managing agents?

With the highest proportions of tenanted and leasehold properties outside London, these are the questions which could influence the local result.

The newly independent private sector housing forum will be repeating the "Election Any Questions?" mounted for the previous General Election but this year it will be at the Cornerstone Centre in Hove.

We are proud to welcoming candidates Nicholas Boles, Marina Pepper, Keith Taylor and Des Turner and the agenda will be entirely devoted to housing questions.

All are welcome at the Cornerstone from 3pm on Tuesday April 19.

If we don't demonstrate we care we will only get the representation we deserve - nothing at all.

-Shula Rich, chairman, Brighton and Hove Private Sector Housing Forum