{"id":17141,"date":"2025-07-15T23:47:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T22:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/?post_type=case-studies&#038;p=17141"},"modified":"2025-07-21T15:53:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T14:53:19","slug":"trapped-by-raac","status":"publish","type":"case-studies","link":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/","title":{"rendered":"Trapped by RAAC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Daily newspapers in Scotland have launched a powerful joint campaign to support residents facing financial ruin and homelessness after discovering their homes were built with dangerous RAAC concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Courier in Dundee led the charge with its\u00a0Trapped by RAAC campaign. The title was joined by the Aberdeen Press and Journal which highlighted the plight of homeowners in Dundee, Stirling and Aberdeen who have been told they must evacuate their properties. The homes, many purchased through the Right to Buy scheme, were constructed using the same unstable concrete that forced emergency closures of schools and hospitals across the UK last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Dundee alone, nearly 900 homes are affected &#8211; more than anywhere else in Scotland. Residents now face the impossible choice of paying tens of thousands of pounds for repairs or selling their homes at a loss for demolition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courier editor David Clegg said: &#8220;Dundee is at the epicentre of Scotland\u2019s RAAC housing crisis &#8211; and too many people are being left to face it alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"e119\">&#8220;Nearly 900 homes in the city contain the defective concrete, more than anywhere else in Scotland. Many of the affected homeowners bought their properties through Right to Buy, unaware of the risks they were taking on. Now, their homes are losing value, their futures are uncertain, and they have nowhere to turn for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This isn\u2019t just about statistics. It\u2019s about real people facing the possibility of bankruptcy and homelessness because of a problem they didn\u2019t create. They need help &#8211; and they need it now.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The campaign has drawn comparisons to the Post Office scandal &#8211; another case of ordinary people being failed by systems meant to protect them. Thousands have already backed a petition demanding urgent government intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The campaign is calling for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Immediate government action to support affected homeowners<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear and transparent communication on the scale of the issue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fair compensation and practical solutions for those trapped in unsellable homes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Press and Journal hosted an online debate to explore solutions, while reporter Lindsay Bruce addressed Aberdeen Council directly, urging leaders to show creativity and compassion in their response &#8211; emphasising the vital role of journalism in holding power to account and giving voice to those caught in the crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" src=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-1024x614.jpg.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17143\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-1024x614.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-300x180.jpg.webp 300w, https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-768x461.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-1536x922.jpg.webp 1536w, https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-2048x1229.jpg.webp 2048w, https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2025\/07\/KT-270425-02-16_65376652-1mlf2wzm5-scaled-e1745843501495-1568x941.jpg.webp 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lindsay Bruce, who had been leading the campaign for the Press and Journal, said: &#8220;My call was for creativity and compassion, to bring about these solutions in a way that doesn\u2019t see homeowners penalised further, whether mentally, physically or financially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"9956\">&#8220;As I said in my deputation, good journalism is robust in its ability to cover these stories and to question those in power positions at the heart of a crisis. We are also uniquely positioned to help give voice to the voiceless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"6992\">&#8220;We\u2019re doing all we can to do just that. I hope I did the homeowners and their plight justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Their ask is deliverable and measurable. It should not make them even worse off. I believe our leaders have it within them to buck the trend of \u2018no obligation within the law\u2019 to leading by example.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17142,"template":"","published":[64],"region":[19],"class_list":["post-17141","case-studies","type-case-studies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","published-64","region-regional-and-local-campaigns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daily newspapers in Scotland have launched a powerful joint campaign to support residents facing financial ruin and homelessness after discovering their homes were built with dangerous RAAC concrete. The Courier in Dundee led the charge with its\u00a0Trapped by RAAC campaign. The title was joined by the Aberdeen Press and Journal which highlighted the plight of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News Media Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-21T14:53:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"922\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"591\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/\",\"name\":\"Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-15T22:47:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-21T14:53:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png\",\"width\":922,\"height\":591},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trapped by RAAC\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/\",\"name\":\"News Media Association\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"News Media Association\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/nma-logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/nma-logo.svg\",\"width\":236,\"height\":79,\"caption\":\"News Media Association\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association","og_description":"Daily newspapers in Scotland have launched a powerful joint campaign to support residents facing financial ruin and homelessness after discovering their homes were built with dangerous RAAC concrete. The Courier in Dundee led the charge with its\u00a0Trapped by RAAC campaign. The title was joined by the Aberdeen Press and Journal which highlighted the plight of [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/","og_site_name":"News Media Association","article_modified_time":"2025-07-21T14:53:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":922,"height":591,"url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/","url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/","name":"Trapped by RAAC - News Media Association","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png","datePublished":"2025-07-15T22:47:49+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-21T14:53:19+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RAAC.png","width":922,"height":591},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/case-studies\/trapped-by-raac\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trapped by RAAC"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/","name":"News Media Association","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#organization","name":"News Media Association","url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/nma-logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/nma-logo.svg","width":236,"height":79,"caption":"News Media Association"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case-studies\/17141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case-studies"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case-studies"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"published","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/published?post=17141"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=17141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}