Dundee is now at the centre of the Raac crisis in Scotland.
Nearly 900 homeowners and social housing tenants living under roofs built with a substandard and potentially dangerous concrete.
It’s a nightmare situation, putting folk in a vulnerable position through no fault of their own.
Homeowners worry they could lose the place they live, their property values are plummeting and they are unable to sell.
Bankruptcy and homelessness fears are on the rise.
Most people can’t afford the thousands of pounds needed to carry out the repairs and remove the defective material.
These people are Trapped by Raac.
‘They need help’
The Courier wants to support the 887 households in our area affected by this burgeoning crisis.
Within those households are real people having to carry the weight of this problem.
It’s young families needing more space and couples no longer wanting to live upstairs in a flat.
It’s people whose parents have recently died and left them something to pass on, only for that gift to become a burden when Raac was discovered.
They all need help.
There needs to be a collegiate approach to this issue between local authorities, the Scottish Government and the UK Government.
Otherwise, nothing will be done.
Help the homeowners and sign the petition
Through our campaign, we will raise awareness of the issue, be a voice for those affected, and uncover how this crisis has been allowed to unfold.
We are asking people to help by signing this petition to the UK Government.
It will give homeowners a voice at Westminster – and outlines what national and local campaign groups need to feel safe in their homes.
10,000 signatures are required by June 17, three months to the day from the launch of our campaign.
To those in all levels of power, this is not the time to be finger pointing or passing the buck.
And it is certainly not an issue that can be ignored.
What has happened in Aberdeen should be an eye-opening event – around 500 homes facing demolition because the Raac homes have become unsafe.
People offered a fraction of what their houses were only recently worth.
That cannot be allowed to happen in Dundee or Angus.
To be frank, it can’t be allowed to happen in Aberdeen or anywhere else in Scotland.
This is a crisis in the making, and it will be a scandal if not properly dealt with.
Conversation