It's early on a Monday morning and the sliding doors to the office of Hastings Council haven't stopped moving backwards and forwards. This is where the homeless come in desperation. Eunice Dolby is sitting in the waiting area surrounded by suitcases containing all of her possessions. The 77-year-old lost her husband last year and now she's lost her home. After 18 years as a tenant, her landlord used a Section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice to get her out.
Like thousands of others, she is priced out of the market. Waiting game There are more than a million people in England waiting for something more permanent - affordable social housing. The rent for social housing is linked to local wages so cheaper than a private landlord. Tenancies are also more secure. Housing manager Alan Sheppard shows what he calls the 'housing register'. It is effectively the waiting list for a house.