A motion before yesterday’s meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee calling for the declaration of a housing emergency and an action plan to address it received cross-party support.

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.

Just last month, the local authority decided that an estimated 366 council and 138 private addresses affected by RAAC in the city need to be demolished on safety grounds, followed by a rebuilding programme.

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.

Shelter Scotland has led the campaign for Aberdeen to declare a housing emergency and welcomed the announcement. The housing and homelessness charity pointed to the loss of council homes to RAAC, the growing number of children in temporary accommodation, and the struggling local homelessness service as evidence of the critical situation in the city.

Shelter Scotland director, Alison Watson, said: “The number of children in temporary accommodation has more than doubled in the last year, people’s housing rights are being breached with increased regularity, and hundreds of council homes are being lost due to RAAC; Aberdeen is clearly in a housing emergency.

“Today councillors from across the political spectrum have shown leadership, taking the bold step of declaring a housing emergency and, more importantly, committing to doing something about it.

“Of course, we recognise that Aberdeen City Council can’t be expected to pick up the pieces of an utterly broken system on its own, both the UK and Scottish governments must share responsibility. However, it’s clear that every level of government has a duty to respond to the worsening situation and today must be the start of that process.

“It’s vitally important the words are now swiftly followed by action. Shelter Scotland and other organisations working on the front line of Aberdeen’s housing emergency stand ready to support the council as it prepares its action plan; this is just the start of a journey that only ends when everyone in the city has somewhere safe, secure and affordable to call home.”

The decision comes after a national housing emergency was announced by the Scottish Government in May, which it said is due to a shortage of affordable, quality housing.

It sees Aberdeen follow an increasing number of councils making the declaration, including Argyll and Bute, the City of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, Angus and Dumfries & Galloway.