By Hannah Chowdhry – RAAC-affected homeowner and Co-Vice Chair, UK RAAC Campaign Group
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.
You can still sign our Scottish Parliament petition (here).
A Long-Awaited Meeting with the Scottish Housing Minister
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.
It is not justice — but it is movement.
Westminster: RAAC Placed on the Official Record
That movement was echoed at Westminster.
On 27 January 2026, Brian Leishman MP formally presented the UK RAAC homeowners’ petition written by Wilson Chowdhry to the House of Commons on behalf of families across the country.
Although parliamentary rules prevented the petition from explicitly calling for a compensation fund, it now stands on the official parliamentary record, forcing a formal Government response and strengthening the case for future debates, inquiries, and legislation.
For homeowners who have been ignored for years, that recognition matters. Read about what happens next (here).
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, said:
“The petition being read into the House of Commons is an important milestone for homeowners affected by unsafe housing. It ensures their struggles are formally acknowledged and forces a government response. I want to be transparent that the part of the petition calling for legislative change was always intended to cover all homeowners of condemned or unsafe homes, not just those affected by RAAC. That focus didn’t come across in the amended wording, and I take responsibility for not reviewing it closely enough, when sent to me prior to submission. Even so, I remain hopeful that the wider legislative reforms will be considered in future debates, and that this petition will help drive lasting justice and protection for all homeowners at risk. I would also like to thank Brian Leishman and his team for their support in presenting the petition and helping raise these critical issues in Parliament.”
Aberdeen: Proof That Change Is Possible
For me personally, the Aberdeen breakthrough remains a powerful reminder of why this fight must continue.
After two years of relentless campaigning, Aberdeen City Council finally agreed to compensate homeowners at essentially pre-RAAC property values. It was a historic victory — and proof that fair solutions are possible when political will exists. Read more (here)
But Aberdeen also exposed the injustice of Scotland’s piecemeal approach. Funding mechanisms there cannot be replicated elsewhere, leaving families in places like Clackmannanshire, Renfrewshire and West Lothian facing ruin simply because of their postcode.
Why This Matters — and Why We Keep Going
As a Christian, and as a homeowner living with the consequences of institutional failure, I believe justice is not optional. Scripture calls us to defend those who are crushed by systems of power — not to explain away their suffering.
Families affected by RAAC did nothing wrong. Yet they are paying with their homes, their finances, and their health.
That is why the UK RAAC Campaign Group continues to call for:
A National RAAC Recovery Fund, applied fairly and consistently across the UK
Legislative protection for mortgage prisoners, including an automatic move to capital-repayment only mortgages where homes are condemned
The restoration of first-time buyer status for RAAC-affected homeowners, recognising that families forced from unsafe homes should not be permanently penalised
Mandatory defect reporting and the creation of a national high-risk building register
A full public inquiry into how RAAC was allowed to enter homes and why warnings were ignored
We are not asking for special treatment — only fairness, accountability, and protection from further harm.
Progress is slow. Often painfully so. But every meeting, every petition, every testimony chips away at denial.
And we will not stop — until no homeowner is left behind.
