Aberdeen City Councillors today (Thursday 5 September) agreed a cross-party emergency motion on tackling the city’s housing emergency.
The motion put forward by Councillor Miranda Radley and Councillor Dell Henrickson, Convener and Vice Convener of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection committee, along with councillors Sarah Cross, Gordon Graham, Desmond Bouse calls for the creation of a Housing Emergency Action Plan to tackle the emergency, which while Scotland-wide, is acutely felt in Aberdeen because of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) issue.
Communities, Housing and Public Protection Convener Councillor Radley said: “I welcome the cross party agreement around the chamber today to the declaration of a housing emergency in the city. It is vitally important that there is continued support across the chamber for the action plan, so that we can work together to do what is best for the city and communities and families affected by the housing emergency.
“We will establish a cross-party working group of Councillors to monitor progress on the housing emergency plan. The housing emergency action plan will help to align council teams and city-wide strategies to deliver the shared goal of tackling the housing crisis in the city.
“Far too many people in Aberdeen are affected by the lack of affordable or suitable housing and we will work with our communities and individuals, along with external partners to deliver solutions.”
The council established a Housing Board in March this year to identify risks through the Housing Service, and this will oversee the action plan. The first bi-annual report on progress towards this will be presented to the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee in November 2024.
Work is already ongoing between the council, Registered Social Landlords and other sector partners to deliver homes as part of the Homewards Programme.
The council has also called for a round table meeting with both the Scottish and UK governments to discuss the financial impact of RAAC on the Council and seek any additional funding to help meet the short-term rehoming costs and the longer-term rebuild phases.