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Tenant charity to close after review cites ‘unfavourable operating conditions’
Trustees at Taroe Trust have announced they have decided to close down the charity and to redistribute the remaining funds to tenant-related charitable causes.
The decision follows a review of the charity after applying to over 100 potential sources of core funding in the past few months without success.
Alongside this lack of funding, Taroe Trust said the review “identified unfavourable operating conditions”. As a result, all services will cease by the end of December 2023.
The charity explained that it had tried to repivot as a knowledge hub, engaging in evidence-led housing research with higher education institutions, but the financial returns from this week have been marginal.
Taroe was established in 2013 as a charity out of the former national tenant membership organisations. At its peak, it had a membership of more than 800 organisations that represented over three million tenants and residents.
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It is not the first time the charity has been at risk of closure. After a similar announcement in 2020, Taroe was thrown a lifeline in September of that year thanks to a £210,000 injection of funding from procurement group Fusion 21.
The charity said it could have continued in the short term following its latest decision, but without the receipt of core funding, it would have faced a position of managing decline or been required to pursue a strategy of massively scaling up our consultancy services.
Taroe said this scaling up was “not realistic in a relatively saturated market” and “would have also taken the charity away from its core purpose”.
Michael Gelling chair of Taroe, said: “I am truly disappointed and saddened that we have had to call it a day on the activities of Taroe Trust. It brings to an end a long tradition of tenant primacy.
“We have worked to support and resolve issues for tenants for many, many years. We have also undertaken a prominent role in influencing most of the national change agendas that have taken place within the housing policy sphere. More latterly, we have also participated in pioneering evidence-led housing research.
“We must acknowledge the many tenants that have voluntarily supported our work over the years, many who used their voluntary experience to acquire full-time employment. We must also acknowledge the first-rate staff we have employed and the housing professionals that have given us their time and expertise.”
Mr Gelling said he hopes the charity’s closure will highlight the gap that exists at a national level for a body that represents the interests of tenants from their perspective.
He also blamed successive governments for failing to fund an independent national tenant body at a time when the need has never been greater.
Mr Gelling added: “We hope that one day steps can be taken to rectify this failure. Finally, we must never forget that if landlords really wish to empower tenants they can. They do not need legislation or regulation, just a willingness to trust those who receive their services to shape those services at all levels within their organisation.
“If I was able to change one thing from the years that I have volunteered in the housing sector, it would be to highlight more the few landlords that truly empower their tenants as examples of excellence in the sector.”
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