Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell will be in Barrhead today to mark the start of work on a major new affordable housing development.

Sixty-five new, affordable homes will be built by Barrhead Housing Association over seven vacant sites and will contribute to the wider regeneration of the Auchenback area.

The development is being supported by £5.8m in funding from the Scottish Government.

The homes will increase the choice of affordable housing in an area where historically high Right to Buy levels have reduced the availability of housing for social rent.

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Performing the site start ceremony Mr Maxwell said: "This development will provide 65 new homes for affordable rent to people in need across the area and the Scottish Government is pleased to be part of this process by committing £5.8m of funding.

"We are investing more than £1.5bn in housing over the next three years. This is 19% more than planned by the previous administration for the last spending review period and is expected to provide 21,500 affordable homes.

"One of our highest priorities is taking action on housing. That is why the First Minister recently announced the publication of the next steps for our housing policy, and why up to 100 million capital spending will be brought forward over the next two years to support these efforts and help us to meet the demand for affordable housing in Scotland. These actions will help people across the country to find new housing of the right kind in the right places."

(GK/JM)