Renfrewshire Council has unveiled a five-year plan to target £34million in grant funding into projects which will provide local people with more than 700 high-quality, affordable homes in neighbourhoods where they want to live.

The homes will be a mixture of council and housing association properties.

The draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2017/18 – 2021/22 will be presented to Renfrewshire Council’s Housing and Community Safety (HACS) Board on Wednesday 23 August.

Board members are expected to give the green light for a four week consultation on the draft plan. If approved the public, housing associations, developers and other key partners will be asked for their views on the proposals.

Copies of the draft plan will then be sent to local tenants’ and residents’ associations and the 15 housing associations working in Renfrewshire. The plan will also be made available to the public through the council’s website.

The final plan will be published by the end of the year as part of the Local Housing Strategy.

Councillor Tommy Williams, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Housing and Community Safety Policy Board, said, “Good Quality, affordable housing helps to improve people’s quality of life.  It is essential to achieving the council’s priorities on regeneration, economic growth and prosperity and has a positive impact on health and wellbeing.

“Renfrewshire Council is committed to providing high-quality homes that people can afford to rent and buy. But the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan isn’t just about building more houses. It is about creating homes that people want to live in, in places where they want to live.

“We are already well on track to delivering our target of 1,000 new affordable homes by 2020 and I fully expect that the final version of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will take us beyond that.”

Affordable housing includes a range of options for people who are looking for a home to rent or buy: new council homes for rent, housing association homes for rent, low cost home ownership/shared equity schemes and intermediate/mid-market rental.

Since 2011/12, 842 homes have already been completed in Renfrewshire under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme.

The draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan contains details of a range of projects which are: due to start on site soon, have recently been completed or are expected to be finished this year.

Proposed projects over the next five years include:
·        Bishopton Community Growth Area. Renfrewshire Council – Phase 1, 100 new council homes. Phase 2, 100 new housing association homes.
·        Johnstone Castle. Renfrewshire Council – 100 new council ‘back and front door’ houses
·        Smithhills Street, Paisley. LinkGroup – 24 flats.
·        Milliken Road, Kilbarchan. Williamsburgh Housing Association – 18 one and two bedroomed flats for rent.
·        Inchinnan Road, Renfrew. Sanctuary Scotland – 67 affordable homes
·        West End, Paisley. Sanctuary Scotland – redevelop Co-op site in Wellmeadow Street and regenerate Well Street area.
·        Orchard Street/Causeyside Street, Paisley. Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Government and Paisley South Housing Association – Comprehensive Tenement Improvement scheme.