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London, 8 December 2024 – On Saturday, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, Wilson Chowdhry, accompanied by his three daughters, Hannah, Naomi, and Willow, hand-delivered letters to Prime Minister Keir Starmer MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government Angela Rayner MP, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Growth and Building Safety Alex Norris MP at 10 Downing Street. The decision to submit these letters in person followed a failure to receive responses to emailed versions, despite previous correspondence from the group having been acknowledged through this method. Please watch video below:
The letters highlight the UK Government’s ongoing inaction regarding the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) homes crisis and call for urgent legislative and financial intervention to support affected homeowners. Mr. Chowdhry expressed deep frustration at Mr. Norris’s prior response, which deflected responsibility by labeling building safety as a devolved matter, despite many proposed reforms falling squarely within Westminster’s jurisdiction.
Among the key legislative proposals put forward by Mr. Chowdhry are:
Amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 – To allow affected homeowners to reduce existing loan payments to capital-only contributions, easing the financial burden of owning uninhabitable properties.
Amendments to the Finance Act 2003 – To restore first-time buyer status to affected homeowners, enabling them to access financial support schemes to secure new homes.
Improved Housing Safety Regulations – Strengthening the Building Safety Act to ensure developers remain accountable for safety defects even after resale, for up to 60 years. Additionally, fostering dialogue with the Scottish Government, which currently lacks such legislation, to encourage its implementation.
Amendments to the Insurance Act 2015 – To facilitate affordable insurance options for RAAC-affected homeowners, including a government-backed scheme to provide necessary coverage.
Mr. Chowdhry condemned the government’s failure to address the concerns raised by Scotland’s Housing Minister, Paul McLennan, who has confirmed that no funding has been provided despite the Chancellor’s previous commitment to “spend what is necessary” on RAAC-related repairs. The ongoing political impasse between Westminster and Holyrood continues to leave homeowners in financial limbo, with no clear route to recovery.
In Aberdeen alone, repair costs for RAAC-affected homes are estimated to reach up to £71,000 per property—an unaffordable sum for most residents. The majority of affected individuals are elderly or financially vulnerable, making access to credit or alternative housing solutions nearly impossible. Currently, Aberdeen City Council is at a stalemate, as homeowners have rejected the inadequate voluntary agreement offers from the cash-strapped council (click here). Meanwhile, the council continues to press the UK and Scottish Governments for assistance in finding a viable resolution to this crisis.
Mr. Chowdhry also highlighted distressing testimonies from Clackmannanshire, where 30 families are currently paying mortgages on uninhabitable homes while also being charged council rent and insurance premiums that offer no coverage for RAAC-related damage. The emotional and financial toll on these families is immeasurable, yet government responses have been dismissive and inadequate.
“The UK Government has historically intervened in financial crises to protect banks and corporations,” said Mr. Chowdhry. “Yet when it comes to struggling homeowners—many of whom bought their properties under the Right to Buy scheme using public funds—there is an appalling lack of urgency and compassion.”
The UK RAAC Campaign Group is urging the UK Government to provide financial assistance or to pressure the Scottish Government to allocate a portion of the £3.4bn Treasury budget for RAAC remediation and property buyouts—or to designate the funding directly.
Additionally, the group is urging the implementation of enhanced property surveys to prevent similar crises in the future.
“This is no longer just a building safety issue—it is a national housing emergency,” Mr. Chowdhry stated. “We will not stop advocating until a real solution is put in place.”
The UK RAAC Campaign Group eagerly awaits an official response from the Government and will continue to fight for the rights of affected homeowners.
Hannah Chowdhry (21yrs), said:
"As a law student, I already face the burden of significant student debt—but now, I’m staring down the prospect of paying a mortgage on what is essentially rubble. The stress of this crisis is overwhelming and is taking a serious toll on my studies—this is not the future I envisioned when I bought my home in good faith.
In England, ex-council homes don’t carry the same hidden risks as these RAAC-affected properties in Scotland, and it’s clear this crisis has uniquely Scottish dimensions. But the UK Government cannot simply stand by while the Scottish Government fails to act.
Some of the blame lies with Westminster—after all, these cheaply built homes came through the Right to Buy scheme, a policy the Scottish Government never fully supported. Given this history, there is a clear responsibility for the UK Government to shoulder at least some of the costs in finding a fair resolution for homeowners like me." – Hannah Chowdhry, Law Student & RAAC Homeowner
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