UK:  Wilson Chowdhry and his daughter Hannah Chowdhry taking the lead in the first meeting with senior Aberdeen council officers, advocating for residents and demanding a fair deal. Photo taken outside Marischal College on 26th July 2024, before meeting with Stephen Booth, Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord, and John Wilson, Chief Officer – Capital. The meeting revealed that unfair voluntary acquisitions were being offered, while homeowners still held the expectation that the council would provide a fair deal.

As someone whose own home has been devastated by the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) crisis, this campaign is not abstract for me — it is deeply personal. It is about safety, dignity, and whether families who did nothing wrong are treated with fairness or simply abandoned.

Over recent weeks, there have been important developments in Scotland and at Westminster. While none of them yet deliver the justice homeowners deserve, together they show that persistence, unity, and truth are forcing governments to listen.

Understanding the RAAC Crisis

The RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) crisis is a major building safety emergency now affecting over 3,000 homeowners across the UK. RAAC is a lightweight concrete widely used by councils from the 1950s to the 1990s and is now known to deteriorate over time, often without visible warning. Many affected homeowners — including myself — bought our homes recently and at full market value, often several owners removed from the original Right to Buy purchase, and did not benefit from any council discount. Yet we are now bearing the full financial and emotional cost of historic council build errors.

In places like Aberdeen, most private homes still have structurally sound RAAC roofs, but families are being forced to sell because load-bearing beams installed by the council are now deemed too thin under modern legislative standards — despite meeting requirements at the time of construction. Elsewhere, such as Clackmannanshire, homes deteriorated far more severely. There, councils remained responsible for maintenance and repairs for years but lost oversight of RAAC entirely, failing to address known risks such as water ingress. The result has been sudden evacuations, unsafe homes, and families displaced through no fault of their own.

A Long-Awaited Meeting with the Scottish Housing Minister

Fiona Crichtin delivers critical RAAC research to Housing Minister Mairi McAllan.

In October 2025, a long-delayed meeting finally took place between RAAC-affected homeowners in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, and Scotland’s Housing Minister, Mairi McAllan, at Kilncraigs. The meeting was arranged at the Minister’s request, following sustained pressure from Wilson Chowdhry, Leader of the UK RAAC Campaign Group.

Also present were Keith Brown MSP, Brian Leishman MP, senior Scottish Government officials from the Better Homes Division, Kevin Wells of Clackmannanshire Council, and seven local RAAC-affected homeowners.  Read more (here).

The meeting was meant to last an hour but was cut to just 55 minutes due to the Minister arriving over half an hour late. For homeowners who have already lost two years of their lives to uncertainty, this lack of time felt symbolic of how little space has been made for their voices.

The Minister opened by saying she wanted a “frank, cooperative conversation to come together for solutions.” That sentiment was welcome — but as the discussion unfolded, it became clear how wide the gap still is between words and action.

The Reality on the Ground: Delay, Debt and Desperation

Wilson Chowdhry laid out the stark reality facing families in Clackmannanshire:

Two years of waiting with no insurance cover

Months of unexplained delays

No clarity on costs, VAT liabilities, or interest rates

Council proposals that would push families into tens of thousands of pounds of debt

Homeowners were already distressed; several became emotional when explaining how close they are to financial and mental collapse.

The Council’s current proposal involves full roof replacement, with homeowners offered either:

Voluntary Acquisition — reduced by £20,000–£22,000 for roof costs, or

Loans at 5.5% interest, potentially plus 20% VAT

For many, including NHS workers nearing the end of their mortgages, this would mean taking on life-changing debt through no fault of their own.

No National Fund — and a Moral Vacuum

The Housing Minister repeated the Scottish Government’s position that there will be no national RAAC remediation fund, citing financial constraints and the fact that many homes were sold under Right to Buy before devolution.

Wilson responded plainly and powerfully:

“These properties were sold with a hidden defect. Government and councils knew RAAC was dangerous. Homeowners were given no warning, no protection, and no choice.”

That truth sat heavily in the room.

Evidence Delivered — and Voices Finally Heard

One of the most important moments came when Fiona Crichton, Secretary of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, formally presented detailed written evidence to the Minister. This included:

Testimonies from homeowners

A report documenting delays, governance failures and cost-shifting

Serious concerns about mismanagement and injustice

This ensured the crisis was no longer just theoretical — it was documented, human, and undeniable.

Homeowners Locked Out of Decision-Making

A deeply troubling issue remains unresolved: homeowners are excluded from Scotland’s RAAC Leadership Panel, while insurers and mortgage lenders are included.

Wilson challenged this directly, asking how decisions can be made about homeowners without homeowners at the table. No clear answer was given.

This exclusion matters. Without reform, mortgage prisoners and uninsured families remain trapped — punished for a defect they did not create.

A Small Glimmer of Hope

Despite the frustration, the meeting did end with some limited progress:

Clackmannanshire Council has now committed to submitting an Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) proposal

Kevin Wells privately indicated to Wilson and Fiona that some funding may yet emerge

Brian Leishman MP reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the campaign in Parliament and recently formally read into the House of Commons a petition originally authored by Wilson Chowdhry.