MILLIONS of pounds are being made available to increase the supply of affordable homes in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.

The cash boost from the Scottish Government should see hundreds of new homes being built locally.

A total of £11.5 million is being handed to Renfrewshire Council, with a further £4 million allocated to East Renfrewshire Council.

Councillor Tommy Williams, Renfrewshire’s housing convener, said the local authority is “absolutely committed” to delivering good-quality homes that local people can afford to rent or buy.

He added: “We are already well on track to delivering our target of 1,000 new affordable homes by 2020, despite the severe cuts to our budget inflicted by the government in Edinburgh.

“Our approach is about far more than just building more houses - it is about delivering homes people want to live in and creating successful communities that they want to call home.

“Good-quality, affordable housing helps to improve people’s quality of life and it is essential to achieving our council’s priorities on regeneration, economic growth and prosperity.

“While any money for housing is welcome, the truth is that this is a fraction of the money the Scottish Government has taken off Renfrewshire and their brutal cuts jeopardise our efforts to deliver for local communities.”

A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said the £4m it will receive will help to deliver “much-needed” affordable housing in the area by supporting planned investment.

He added: “We are committed to ensuring we provide good-quality affordable homes across the authority and continue to work hard to make sure we have the right infrastructure and sites in place to ensure we can deliver.”

Announcing the cash boost, Communities Secretary Angela Constance said a good supply of affordable homes is vital to ensuring everyone has an equal chance of getting on in life.

She added: “We’re determined to increase and accelerate housing supply – working in partnership with councils and housing associations to deliver quality homes to fit local needs.”