UK: The decision by Aberdeen City Council to provide compensation that reflects essentially pre-RAAC property values for homeowners in Torry marks a long-overdue victory for justice. After two gruelling years of campaigning, meetings, protests, and deputations, the council finally recognised the devastating impact that unsafe RAAC housing has had on ordinary families. 

However, while this outcome is a step forward, the fight for fairness is far from over. Much work remains to ensure that every homeowner in Aberdeen receives a fair and transparent outcome under the new resolution — and that residents across Scotland are not left behind. 

VIDEO:  Radio Scotland interviews Wilson Chowdhry on historic decision to pay Pre-RAAC funds to Aberdeen homeowners 

The Limits of the Aberdeen Solution 

The financial flexibility that made Aberdeen’s decision possible stems from a specific funding arrangement between the Scottish Government and Aberdeen City Council. Yet that fund comes with significant geographical and administrative restrictions — meaning it cannot serve as a nationwide fix. 

Funds provided to councils are not accessible to Housing Associations that took over property from former New Town organisations, which now own many RAAC-affected properties across Scotland. As a result, homeowners in areas like Renfrewshire and West Lothian, who bought their homes from Housing Associations, are automatically excluded from this type of support. This inequity creates a postcode lottery that is both unjust and unsustainable. 

Even within Aberdeen, there is still work to be done to ensure that all property valuations remain fair and consistent. The council must make sure homeowners who engaged later in the process are not penalised with lower offers than those made to early participants. 

Scotland’s RAAC Crisis Cannot Be Solved Piecemeal 

In Clackmannanshire, the situation remains dire. Homeowners there are being forced to pay both rent and mortgages, have no valid home insurance, and face crippling loan agreements or derisory buy-out offers from their council. This is not good enough. No family should be punished financially for a crisis they did not create. 

Meanwhile, other councils are still debating or delaying their options — each trying to craft a bespoke local solution. This piecemeal approach only prolongs the anxiety, stress, and financial hardship already inflicted on affected homeowners. 

Only a National RAAC Recovery Fund can provide the comprehensive and equitable solution Scotland needs. A single, nationwide fund would ensure consistency, remove bureaucratic barriers, and bring desperately needed peace of mind to thousands of families. Finding localised solutions for each council will only waste time and deepen inequality. 

The Campaign Continues 

Wilson Chowdhry, Chair of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, has vowed to continue the fight until no homeowner is left behind. 

“Aberdeen’s decision is a huge step in the right direction, but we cannot rest,” said Mr Chowdhry. “The financial arrangements that worked for one city simply won’t work everywhere else. Homeowners in Clackmannanshire, Renfrewshire, and West Lothian are still living through a nightmare — and only a national fund will provide them the fairness and stability they deserve. 

“When I began this campaign, I estimated it would take around two years to achieve a meaningful resolution — and many will remember that prediction. That milestone has now been reached in Aberdeen, thanks to the huge campaign by homeowners, but my work is far from finished. I have made similar promises to residents across Scotland, and I intend to keep them. 

“In just a few months, I was able to help secure a fair settlement for homeowners and tenants in Basildon, but the situation in Scotland has taken far longer. My next priority is to bring that same sense of relief and justice to homeowners in Tillicoultry (Clackmannanshire), who have suffered the most and now face fast-approaching deadlines that could devastate their futures. 

“I will continue to press hard for the creation of a National RAAC Fund, which remains the only efficient and fair solution. Alongside that, I will persist in calling for a public inquiry and for the legislative changes our campaign has long demanded — reforms that would prevent councils from repeating the same mistakes. 

“I am also finalising a submission to the Scottish Government’s current consultation, raising serious concerns about the potential use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) and Compulsory Lease Orders (CLOs). These powers must not become tools of coercion. Our hope is that the Government’s eventual framework will require councils to make genuinely fair voluntary acquisition offers from the outset, rather than using the threat of compulsory powers as a guillotine to force homeowners into accepting derisory terms.” 

The UK RAAC Campaign Group has secured meetings with the Scottish Housing Minister, Mairi McAllan, in Clackmannanshire on 9th November and in West Lothian on 3rd December, with a third meeting requested for Renfrewshire. These discussions have now taken on major significance for shaping the future of Scotland’s response to the RAAC crisis. 

However, the issue extends far beyond these areas. RAAC-affected homes have also been identified in Angus, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, and several other regions across Scotland — underlining the scale of the challenge and the urgent need for a coordinated national strategy. (A full list of affected areas can be accessed [here].) 

Mr Chowdhry made clear that these will not be token meetings for political posturing: 

“We will not allow these meetings to become grandstanding events. They must deliver positive, practical outcomes for beleaguered homeowners who have already suffered enough.” 

A National Imperative 

The RAAC crisis has revealed deep systemic failings — in building safety, in communication, and in government accountability. The courage and persistence of affected communities, from Aberdeen to Tillicoultry, has exposed the scale of the problem. 

But courage alone will not rebuild lives. It is now up to the Scottish Government to act with urgency and compassion. Only through a National Fund, applied fairly and consistently, can the nation begin to right this