Waiting for Answers While Families Suffer: The RAAC Shame

 

RAAC campaigners hold banners inside Clackmannanshire Council’s Kilncraigs offices ahead of a visit by Housing Minister Màiri McAllan, as pressure mounts for answers over funding, delays, and the future of affected homeowners.

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Council Silence Over RAAC Homes Raises Serious Questions for Homeowners

After two months of ignored emails, unanswered calls, and growing frustration among residents, the council has finally acknowledged what homeowners have been saying for months — that this RAAC crisis is having a “significant and ongoing impact” on families.

In a recent holding letter, the council stated that it “fully recognises the significant and ongoing impact this situation is having on residents, particularly given the length of time involved and the continued financial and personal pressures” homeowners are facing.

While these words are welcome, many residents are asking why it took so long for the council to publicly recognise the suffering people have already been enduring for months and, in some cases, years.

The timing of this sudden acknowledgment also raises uncomfortable questions.

Why the Silence? Growing Fears Council’s RAAC Funding Bid May Be Failing

Only three months ago, communication from the council was far more regular and informative. Now, there appears to be a worrying silence. Homeowners cannot help but fear that the council may be struggling to secure the Government grant funding needed to purchase and renovate these RAAC properties and eventually create new housing for council tenants.

The council’s latest letter refers to meetings being arranged “with the relevant parties to review the position in detail” and specifically mentions discussions around “the status of the grant funding and its implications for homeowners.”

That wording alone will alarm many residents.

People deserve clarity, not carefully worded holding responses while their lives remain suspended in uncertainty.

What makes this situation particularly distasteful is the fact that homeowners were actively encouraged to sell their homes to the council based on assurances that any future Government grant would later be transferred to those who sold before the funding had officially been confirmed.

Many homeowners now feel trapped between impossible choices.

Some continue paying mortgages, insurance premiums, and ongoing costs for empty, unsafe properties, while fearing they may lose out financially if they sell prematurely. Others believe they may ultimately be better off if meaningful remedial works are carried out instead of rushing into agreements based on uncertain funding promises.

Residents are not asking for miracles. They are asking for honesty, transparency, and leadership.

Anything Else Would Be Devastating”: RAAC Families Await Crucial Meeting

As campaigners and homeowners await Tuesday’s meeting, many of us are still praying and hoping for good news. We want to believe that a fair and workable solution can still be found for affected families.

Anything else would be absolutely devastating.

For many homeowners, this is not simply about property values or funding applications. These are people’s homes, futures, savings, and mental wellbeing hanging in the balance.

The council must now answer the questions residents have been asking for months:

• Has the Government grant application been successful?
• If not, what alternatives are being considered?
• What guarantees exist for homeowners who sold based on council assurances?
• Why has communication deteriorated so significantly in recent months?
• Have all viable remedial options been fully explored?

The people affected by this crisis deserve more than silence and uncertainty.

They deserve answers.

Wilson Chowdhry, Chair of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, said:

“For months, homeowners have been left in limbo — ignored, financially drained, and emotionally exhausted — while desperately seeking answers about the future of their homes. The council’s latest letter finally acknowledges the ‘significant and ongoing impact’ residents are facing, but words alone are not enough. People need transparency, certainty, and action. We are still praying and hoping that Tuesday’s meeting will finally deliver good news for affected families, because anything less at this stage would be absolutely devastating for many homeowners who have already sacrificed so much.”

The RAAC crisis is not just about concrete—it is about accountability.

And we are far from finished.

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Request for Meeting with Housing Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville on Immediate Funding for Clackmannanshire

Fiona Crichton, Kerry Mackintosh, and Wilson Chowdhry following a meeting with Scottish Government officials in February.

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For months, homeowners affected by the RAAC crisis in Scotland have been told that the Scottish Government is “considering matters,” “preparing responses,” or “working through processes.” Yet when residents ask for something as basic as official meeting minutes, written commitments, or updates on emergency funding requests, they are met not with action, but delay after delay.

The latest correspondence from Scottish Government officials perfectly illustrates a growing pattern: assurances are given, deadlines are missed, and excuses are substituted for accountability.

A Meeting Without Transparency

On 19 February 2026, members of the UK RAAC Campaign Group met Scottish Government officials at Atlantic Quay in Glasgow to discuss the ongoing RAAC crisis affecting homeowners across Scotland.

The meeting covered major issues including:

• Clackmannanshire Council’s urgent funding request;
• The absence of a national remediation fund;
• Mortgage and insurance barriers;
• Potential governance failings surrounding historic RAAC oversight;
• Calls for a Public Inquiry;
• Legal protections for displaced homeowners.

Following the meeting, a formal open letter was submitted requesting:

1. Official meeting minutes;
2. A written summary of agreed actions;
3. Clarification of promised follow-up responses.

That letter made clear the urgency facing affected residents:

“The issues raised concern homeowners facing catastrophic structural failure, financial displacement, and prolonged uncertainty. It is therefore essential that a clear and accurate public record exists.”

Yet more than three months later, no substantive response has been delivered.

Promise After Promise

On 11 March 2026, Scottish Government official Louise Thompson acknowledged the delay and assured campaigners a response was imminent:

"Dear Mr Chowdhry

I wanted to send a quick note to say we are preparing a response to your letter and will also share the note of the meeting at the same time. This has taken a little longer than expected due to staff illness but I will try and get a full response to you next week.

Best wishes,

Louise"

That “next week” response never arrived.

After waiting almost two more months, a follow-up email was sent on 1 May 2026 asking why the promised response from November 2025 had still not materialised.

Only then did another explanation emerge — this time blaming election restrictions:

"Hello,

I hope this email finds you well, and thank you for your patience as I was unable to respond last week.

There are limitations on the civil service during the pre-election period which began on 26 March 2026. Now that the Scottish Parliament election has taken place, new Ministers will be appointed. At that stage we will be able to resume correspondence. New Ministers are expected to be in post within the next few weeks although may be slightly quicker.

Best wishes,

Louise

This explanation raises serious questions.

If civil service restrictions began on 26 March, why was the promised response — due “next week” after 11 March — not issued before purdah started?

Why did officials wait until after another chasing email before citing the election period?

And most importantly: why are homeowners facing displacement, financial devastation, and structural crisis continually expected to accept indefinite delay as normal?

Moreover, homeowners’ frustration has only deepened following yet another ministerial reshuffle within the Scottish Government. Mairi McAllan is no longer responsible for housing, having now taken on the role of Education, Culture and Gaelic Secretary, while Shirley-Anne Somerville has become the new Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing. For RAAC residents, this marks the third change of Housing Minister in just two years. Many homeowners now fear that months of engagement, correspondence, and campaigning risk being reset once again, forcing residents to repeatedly brief incoming ministers while urgent decisions affecting their homes, finances, and futures remain unresolved.

In response, Wilson Chowdhry has written an open letter to the new Housing Minister requesting urgent meetings with affected homeowners in Tillicoultry and Renfrewshire, while also seeking immediate clarity regarding ongoing delays to Clackmannanshire Council’s funding application. Mr Chowdhry has additionally been attempting to obtain updates directly from Clackmannanshire Council for over two months, but says repeated emails and telephone calls have gone unanswered. This includes correspondence with the Strategic Director for Place, Kevin Wells, who informed Mr Chowdhry in March that the grant application was in its finalisation stage before subsequently ceasing communication altogether. An additional open letter has now been issued to Mr Wells seeking answers on behalf of displaced residents.

Clackmannanshire Council Left Waiting

One of the most concerning elements of the February meeting involved Clackmannanshire Council’s funding request submitted on 23 January 2026 under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

During the meeting, officials explicitly stated that Clackmannanshire Council’s funding application would be “expedited” and acknowledged the impending Scottish Parliament election, indicating they hoped to conclude matters before pre-election restrictions began. Despite this, no meaningful update or decision was issued before purdah commenced — raising serious concerns that the election is now being used as justification for delays officials were already aware were approaching.

UKRCG's formal letter requested clarification on:

• when a decision would be made;
• whether additional information had been requested;
• whether interim support was being considered.

No answer was ever provided.

For residents in Tillicoultry and elsewhere who remain displaced from their homes, this silence is not administrative inconvenience — it directly prolongs uncertainty, hardship, and fear about their future.

Accountability Continues to Be Avoided

The February letter also raised deeply uncomfortable issues for government:

• allegations of prior knowledge of RAAC risks;
• failures in oversight;
• councils allegedly losing track of affected properties;
• calls for a Public Inquiry;
• lack of equivalent protections to those available under the Building Safety Act 2022 in England.

Campaigners requested transparency about who reviewed evidence, what thresholds were applied, and what escalation mechanisms existed.

Again, there has been no substantive response.

Instead, homeowners are being trapped in a cycle of acknowledgement without action.

A Government That Responds Only When Pressured

What is becoming increasingly apparent is that responses tend to emerge only after repeated chasing by residents, campaigners, or the media.

Even then, those responses frequently contain:

• vague assurances;
• references to internal processes;
• staff shortages;
• election restrictions;
• or promises of future updates that never materialise.

At no stage has the Scottish Government publicly demonstrated the urgency that homeowners themselves are living with every single day.

The lack of published minutes is itself telling. If the meeting was constructive and meaningful, why has it taken months to release even a summary note?

Why are campaigners still asking basic questions about actions and timelines?

Residents Deserve Better

RAAC homeowners are not asking for special treatment.

They are asking for:

• transparency;
• timely communication;
• meaningful engagement;
• and evidence that government is actively fighting for solutions rather than managing political inconvenience.

The Scottish Government repeatedly states that it understands the seriousness of the RAAC crisis. But understanding means little without action.

At present, many affected residents see only delay, avoidance, and broken promises.

The RAAC crisis is not just about concrete—it is about accountability.

And we are far from finished.

JOIN OUR 'UK RAAC CAMPAIGN GROUP' FB PAGE (HERE)

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION  (CLICK HERE), 

📧 Email: wilson@aasecurity.co.uk
📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/WilsonChowdhry

#RAACScandal #Petition2113 #ScottishParliament #SupportRAACVictims #EndTheSilence 

A National Injustice: RAAC and the Cost of UK Government Inaction

Support our campaign crowdfund  (click here)  Or donate direct to the UK RAAC Campaign Group using these details: SC: 20-29-24 ACCT No: 03355349   

The Government’s recent response to the petition “RAAC Homeowners Justice: National Fund, Legislative Reform & Public Inquiry Now!” is deeply disappointing—not just for what it says, but for what it fails to address.

At a time when hundreds of homeowners across the UK remain trapped in unsafe properties, facing financial ruin through no fault of their own, the Government has effectively chosen to do nothing.

Instead of acknowledging the scale of the crisis, the response downplays it. By stating that the “prevalence of RAAC in housing is low” and that the “risk of injury… is low,” the Government sidesteps the real issue: people are losing their homes, their financial security, and their futures. This is not simply a question of statistical risk—it is a human crisis affecting real families.

A Policy Vacuum

The petition called for meaningful, practical solutions:

• A public inquiry into how RAAC has been handled
• A national high-risk building register
• Mandatory defect reporting
• A 60-year developer liability period
• Compensation measures for affected homeowners

Yet the Government has rejected new measures outright, relying instead on existing frameworks that have already proven inadequate. The claim that current guidance is sufficient rings hollow when councils such as West Lothian and Dundee are offering little or no meaningful support to affected residents.

Homeowners are being left in limbo—unable to sell, unable to remortgage, and in many cases, still paying mortgages on properties deemed unsafe or uninhabitable.

Silence on First-Time Buyer Status

Perhaps most concerning is the continued failure to address one of the most critical and reasonable requests: restoring first-time buyer status to those who lose their homes due to RAAC.

I have raised this issue directly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, including in correspondence with Minister Samantha Dixon MBE MP. Despite assurances that this matter would be considered, no clear or substantive response has been provided.

This silence is not acceptable.

Many of the homeowners affected by RAAC come from areas identified in indices of deprivation. These are not wealthy property investors—they are ordinary people who followed the rules, bought homes in good faith, and are now facing devastating consequences due to systemic failures in construction and regulation.

To deny them the opportunity to rebuild their lives through restored first-time buyer status is not just an oversight—it is a profound injustice.

A Pattern of Neglect

The Government’s response reflects a broader pattern: acknowledge the issue, minimise its significance, and avoid taking responsibility.

Meanwhile, local authorities pass the burden onto residents, citing limited resources or devolved responsibilities. The result is a fragmented and ineffective response that leaves homeowners abandoned.

What Happens Next

This is not the end of the matter.

I will be writing again directly to Minister Samantha Dixon to demand a clear and detailed response specifically on the issue of first-time buyer status. This is a fundamental part of restoring fairness for those who have lost everything through no fault of their own.

The fight for justice for RAAC homeowners continues. We will not accept silence, inaction, or half-measures while families are left to bear the cost of failures they did not create.

The Government must do better—and we will continue to hold them to account until they do.

The RAAC crisis is not just about concrete—it is about accountability.

And we are far from finished.

JOIN OUR 'UK RAAC CAMPAIGN GROUP' FB PAGE (HERE)

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION  (CLICK HERE), 

📧 Email: wilson@aasecurity.co.uk
📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/WilsonChowdhry

#RAACScandal #Petition2113 #ScottishParliament #SupportRAACVictims #EndTheSilence 

“I Can’t Keep Waiting”: A RAAC Homeowner’s Plea for Answers in Tillicoultry

Fiona Crichton, Secretary of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, presents a report to Mairi McAllan.

Support our campaign crowdfund  (click here)  Or donate direct to the UK RAAC Campaign Group using these details: SC: 20-29-24 ACCT No: 03355349   

Nearly three years after being forced from their homes due to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), homeowners in Tillicoultry are still trapped in uncertainty—paying mortgages on properties they cannot live in, while waiting for decisions that never seem to come.

For Fiona, one of the affected residents, the situation is becoming critical:

“I am worried. My current mortgage fixed rate is ending… what this means is my mortgage payments are going to increase considerably. The only option I can see is staying on the Standard Variable Rate and trying to meet the payments.”

Like many others, she faces a sharp rise in monthly costs at a time when she is already financially stretched.

“The costs of living are so high right now and costs of everything are increasing and increasing… it’s very disheartening.”

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Almost Three Years of Displacement and Delay

The crisis in Tillicoultry began when RAAC—now widely recognised as a structural risk—was identified in residential properties, leading to homeowners being effectively ousted from their homes for safety reasons.

Since then:

• Many properties have remained empty and uninhabitable
• Homeowners have continued paying mortgages and insurance
• Families have had to secure alternative accommodation, often at additional cost

Despite the severity of the situation, a long-term resolution has yet to be finalised.

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Engagement Without Outcome

There has been no shortage of discussions.

• In October 2025, a meeting took place involving residents, council officers, councillors, and the Scottish Government. At that meeting, government representatives stated they would provide as much assistance as possible and explore financial flexibility, including through the Affordable Homes Supply Programme.
• Prior to that meeting, the council confirmed it would pursue funding through this programme, which could support redevelopment and help deliver new council housing.
• In November 2025, during a further meeting with campaign representatives, a senior government housing official indicated that any application for assistance would be expedited.

More recently, council officials suggested that discussions with the Scottish Government were at an advanced stage, with indications that a grant agreement could be close.

And yet—no confirmation has been provided.

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The Grant That Could Change Everything

At the centre of the impasse is a potential government grant.

If approved, it could:

• Enable the council to renovate or redevelop affected properties
• Convert former private homes into council housing stock
• Crucially, allow the council to offer fairer acquisition prices to homeowners

Without this funding, current voluntary acquisition offers remain significantly below what many homeowners owe on their mortgages.

This is why residents have been reluctant to proceed.

Fiona explains the dilemma clearly:

“I feel stuck because I can’t accept what they are offering me as it doesn’t cover my mortgage but I can’t just keep waiting indefinitely either.”

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A Good Faith Effort—Met With Silence

In an effort to move things forward, campaigners encouraged homeowners to confirm whether they would be willing to sell under an acquisition scheme—something seen as necessary to unlock government funding tied to increasing council housing supply.

Residents engaged with that process in good faith.

Council representatives also indicated that homeowners could proceed with sales immediately and potentially benefit from additional funding later if a grant materialised.

But for many, that is simply too risky. Accepting a below-market offer without certainty of further support could leave them in long-term debt.

Meanwhile, attempts to obtain clear updates have stalled. Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, reports that repeated calls and emails to the council have gone unanswered. He has been seeking a definitive update from Kevin Wells, the Strategic Director responsible for the process. Council officers have stated that only Mr Wells can provide clarity; however, no response has been forthcoming, leaving homeowners without the answers they urgently need.

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Financial Pressure Is Mounting

The delay is not just administrative—it is actively worsening people’s financial situations.

Homeowners are:

• Paying mortgages on empty homes
• Covering insurance and other property-related costs
• Facing rising interest rates and expiring fixed-term deals

For Fiona, the situation is reaching a tipping point:

“There must be something we can do?”

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A Simple Question That Still Has No Answer

After months of engagement and nearly two years of disruption, homeowners are asking a straightforward question:

Will the grant be approved—yes or no?

They are not asking for vague assurances or ongoing discussions. They are asking for clarity that will allow them to make informed decisions about their futures.

Because without that clarity, they remain trapped:

• Unable to sell without incurring losses
• Unable to wait without facing escalating costs

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Time for Transparency

The situation in Tillicoultry highlights the human cost of delay in public decision-making.

Processes take time—but when that time stretches into years, the burden falls on those least able to carry it.

Fiona’s words are not just an expression of personal distress—they are a call for accountability:

“I can’t just keep waiting indefinitely.”

After everything these homeowners have endured, that is not an unreasonable position.

What they need now is not another meeting, or another update that leads nowhere.

They need a clear answer—and they need it now.

Wilson Chowdhry said:

“After months of waiting and repeated attempts to get answers, I have now informed long-standing supporters of these homeowners, including Central FM, and have written an open letter to Clackmannanshire Council and the Scottish Government. We are simply asking for an immediate yes or no on whether this grant will be provided.

These families have been left in limbo for far too long—paying mortgages on homes they cannot live in. They deserve clarity, and they deserve it now.”

The RAAC crisis is not just about concrete—it is about accountability.

And we are far from finished.

JOIN OUR 'UK RAAC CAMPAIGN GROUP' FB PAGE (HERE)

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION  (CLICK HERE), 

📧 Email: wilson@aasecurity.co.uk
📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/WilsonChowdhry

#RAACScandal #Petition2113 #ScottishParliament #SupportRAACVictims #EndTheSilence