A Dundee woman has been left in financial limbo after Raac was discovered in the flat left by her mum who died on Christmas Day.
Arlene Jeffrey told The Courier that her mum’s will stipulated the home on Cart Place should be sold so the money could be shared out between her grandkids.
She had lived in the flat for over 50 years before she died last year and bought it under the ‘right to buy’ scheme.
But the Menzieshill housing development is one found by Dundee City Council to have been built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac).
The material was used as a cheaper and lighter alternative to heavier concrete in both public and private buildings, primarily between the 1950s and the 1990s.
There are hundreds of homes in Dundee affected by the crisis.
‘We don’t know what’s going to happen’
In Dundee, Raac was used solely in roofs – including the Cart Place block where Arlene’s mum lived.
“I just found out about this when (my mum) died”, the 62-year-old explained.
“We’re in limbo now, we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“We’re not rushing to sell the flat but you’ve got enough stress as it is.”
The Courier has launched our Trapped by Raac campaign to help those affected by the burgeoning crisis.
They need 10,000 people to sign this petition to give them a voice – so we’re asking our readers to help them achieve that goal.
Homeowners forced to fork out for repairs
The local authority argues it has no ongoing maintenance responsibilities or liability towards owners who bought their former council properties under the ‘right to buy’ scheme.
This means Arlene could face a hefty bill if she wishes to address the Raac situation in her mum’s block which she would need to do before selling the flat.
This, Arlene says, is money the family don’t have.
She said: “It’s not cheap and I’ve not got thousands of pounds to pay for that.
“This is not through any fault of our own – the (authorities) used this material.
“My fear is they are going to wait until someone’s roof caves in before they do anything.”
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council previously said: “Where properties are privately owned, responsibility for maintenance lies with owners who are recommended to seek their own advice regarding the condition of Raac present within their property.”
Campaigners invited to Parliament
The Raac crisis in Dundee has reached a stage where campaigners are now being asked to attend the Scottish parliament next week to give evidence.
Yvette Hoskins will travel to Edinburgh on Tuesday morning to address the housing and planning committee.
She has led the fight in Dundee and also worked with Angus affected property owners and council tenants.
Yvette and her husband, Wayne Hoskins, have been left unable to sell their flat in Craigie after it was discovered to contain the defective concrete.
They have lived in the first-floor property with their two children for 15 years.
Yvette, who is backing The Courier’s campaign along with her husband and Arlene, will present a number of issues, including her belief that surveys are not being conducted properly.
She said: “I’m going down because we’ve received information that people are just coming in, walking around for five minutes, doing a visual inspection and leaving again.”
Negative equity, mortgage concerns and mental health will also form part of her presentation.
Yvette told The Courier: “We’re going to cover all the issues.
“Mental stress and wellbeing and everything that is causing damage to people’s health overall.”
Conversation