Options include building on brownfield and greenfield sites around the area, including in flood zones, and building near existing housing.
Eastbourne Borough Council has started a series of consultation events to allow people to have their say. Running from now until December, they are being held in every Eastbourne neighbourhood.
The government's blueprint for development, the South East Plan, states that Eastbourne must provide an additional 4,800 homes. Over 1,000 of those have already been built and planning permission has been granted for nearly another 1,000. The council is now tasked with finding sites for another 2,831 more homes.
To view details of when and where the consultation events are taking place visit www.eastbourne.gov.uk/ldf-2009.
• If residents miss the event in their neighbourhood, a general exhibition will take place at the Town Hall on Tuesday, December 15 for anyone to attend.