TAROE future under threat

The Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisation of England (TAROE) is concerned that it may have to close by the end of March as a lack of funds means it will no longer be able to run its office and pay its one member of staff.

TAROE Company – TAROE’s main body – has been struggling for a number of years now, due to government funding cuts and a reduction in paid speaking engagements from sector organisations.

Its funds had already fallen from £99,348 in 2012/13 to £66,080 in 2013/14. Its accounts for 2014/15, which have yet to be published, will show a further drop in funds to around £30,000.

Michael Gelling, chair of TAROE, said he has “exhausted” every possibility of funding he can think of to keep TAROE operating.  He said: “I don’t think there’s anywhere else to go unless there’s a willingness by the sector to keep us going.” Mr Gelling said if every social landlord paid TAROE £100 for the year, the organisation would not have a problem surviving.

Mr Gelling said the number of events he has been paid to speak at in 2014/15 was less than 30, compared to 76 in 2011/12 and 54 in 2013/14. This has hit funds – Mr Gelling said paid speaking places used to bring in around £4,000 a year. Since 2011, TAROE no longer receives £125,000 of annual tenant empowerment funding from the government.

TAROE Trust,  a separate charity set up by TAROE in part to attract funding, is in a slightly stronger position due to an increase in donations, although TAROE is warning it may struggle to survive as well.

Its funds increased from £5,004 in 2013/14 to £23,853 in 2014/15 due to an arrangement under which it carries out research on tenant satisfaction for a contractor. However, TAROE Trust is limited in its activity by charity law. It would therefore find it difficult to carry on TAROE’s work on campaigning or representing tenants in complaint hearings. 

One housing sector figure, who declined to be named, said: “If TAROE is reliant on income from speaking engagements that is a problem. Charitable organisations are unlikely to have much money for that these days.” TAROE represents the interest of five million tenants across the regulated housing sector.

Henry Gregg, assistant director of communications and campaigns at the National Housing Federation, said: “Housing associations put their residents at the heart of everything that they do and are in constant dialogue with their residents about issues relating to their homes and communities. TAROE has played an important role supporting tenants and it is sad to see they are in financial difficulty.”