Aberdeen City Council’s handling of the RAAC housing crisis in Balnagask has been marked by delay, confusion, and frustration for displaced homeowners. After months of uncertainty, the Council has now taken a more positive step — though only after earlier discussions fell far short of what affected residents needed and deserved. 

Earlier this year, the Council applied to the Scottish Government for financial flexibility to support fair compensation for homeowners whose properties were blighted by RAAC. That application resulted in the Cabinet Secretary for Housing inviting Aberdeen City Council to bid for £10 million, a sum clearly intended to help the Council achieve fair settlements closer to pre-RAAC values. 

At the first Special Council Meeting on 21 October 2025, councillors discussed a potential increase in the Home Loss payment from 5% to 10%. While this was a slight improvement on the original offer, it still fell far below the level of compensation required to address the devastating impact RAAC has had on homeowners’ lives. The 10% discussion, though a step up from earlier proposals, was still widely viewed as inadequate and insensitive given the financial and emotional toll residents faced. 

 Revised and Improved Motion 

Recognising the shortcomings of the initial discussions, the Council reconvened the Special Meeting and considered a Partnership amendment that substantially improved on previous proposals. 

This amendment, which was ultimately adopted, represents a far more serious and fair approach to resolving the crisis. It includes the following commitments: 

Welcomes the Cabinet Secretary for Housing’s invitation to bid for £10 million, notes her meeting with the Co-Leaders on 22 October 2025, and records her verbal assurance of further support. 

Agrees in principle — and subject to statutory compliance — to make improved and final voluntary acquisition offers to affected homeowners using the Capital Fund and other approved mechanisms. These offers include: 

Market value of the property; 

Coverage of legal and professional fees; 

An additional fixed payment of: 

£44,000 for 4-bedroom homes, 

£37,000 for 3-bedroom homes, 

£20,000 for 1-bedroom homes; 

The above amounts include all other disbursements and claims, such as moving costs and Home Loss payments. 

Ensures fairness by providing balancing payments to those who have already sold or concluded missives, so they are not financially disadvantaged compared to others. 

Instructs the Chief Executive to obtain External Audit advice on Best Value (BV) considerations and report back to Finance & Resources or the Urgent Business Committee with full cost implications, timescales, and implementation mechanisms. 

A Positive Step Forward 

The reconvened decision marks a significant improvement on the earlier proposal. While the initial idea of a 10% Home Loss payment was rightly criticised as inadequate, the final motion demonstrates that the Council has begun to take its moral and financial responsibilities seriously. 

This revised offer — combining market value, the additional fixed payment, and professional fees, — provides a much fairer route for displaced homeowners and reflects what should have been the starting point all along.  

Conclusion 

Aberdeen City Council’s earlier failure to deliver fair compensation after securing access to funding was deeply disappointing. The initial suggestion of a 10% Home Loss payment, while a step up from 5%, was nowhere near enough to meet the legitimate expectations of affected residents. 

However, the Partnership amendment approved at the reconvened meeting represents a much fairer and more respectful resolution. It offers real hope to homeowners who have endured uncertainty, financial loss, and emotional strain for far too long. 

The Council’s task now is to ensure that this decision translates into swift, transparent, and just action. Words alone will not restore trust — only delivery will. 

IMAGE: Hannah Chowdhry, as elected Chair of the Torry RAAC Campaign Group, spearheads the group’s inaugural deputation to Aberdeen City Council, advocating for affected homeowners. 

Comment from Wilson Chowdhry: 

"Though I still believe the Council should have offered a separate home loss and relocation grant alongside this package, the revised offer will undoubtedly come as a great relief to RAAC homeowners who have spent months staring down the prospect of bankruptcy and homelessness. 

"For the first time in years, many will finally be able to sleep a little easier, knowing that a fairer resolution may be within reach. It is heartbreaking, however, that it took two years of tireless campaigning — filled with sleepless nights, frustration, and emotional strain — and relentless challenges to both the Scottish Government and Aberdeen City Council to reach a point that should have been achieved from the very beginning. 

“This decision offers some hope for homeowners in Aberdeen, but my daughter — like many others affected — has not engaged with the Council at all. We first need to understand whether the additional value offered actually meets the pre-RAAC property value, or how far it falls short, before determining whether it is acceptable. Hannah has already contacted the Council to begin that process. 

It is also important to recognise that this outcome in Aberdeen does not provide a solution for other councils across Scotland. Upcoming meetings with the Scottish Housing Minister in Clackmannanshire on 19 November 2025 and West Lothian on 3 December are therefore crucial. We have also called for a similar meeting with the Housing Minister and RAAC Homeowners in Renfrewshire, and will continue to pursue engagement wherever necessary.  This solution must become a UK-wide standard for all RAAC Homeowners across Scotland. 

I will be liaising with the Council to ensure that property valuations carried out after the initial consultation remain fair and consistent with what has been offered to other Aberdeen RAAC homeowners. I pray and hope that the UK RAAC Campaign can achieve similar results across Scotland, and our campaign will continue to advocate for homeowners in all affected areas.”