TAROE Future Under Threat

England’s largest tenant body is under threat of closing within months due to a shortage of funds. 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. 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. Read more on the TAROE website.

Generation Rent Faces 'Oblivion' After Funding Cut

The campaigning group has made a name for itself in the national media as the voice for young renters, but faces a struggle to secure its future. It has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £60,000 by the end of August after backer the Nationwide Foundation ‘unexpectedly’ pulled the plug on £166,300 of funding, according to Generation Rent. The group said the funding had been due to run through to spring 2016, but was pulled over concerns that it had not done enough to secure its financial future as it campaigned during the general election. If its crowdfunding bid fails, the group will be forced to lay off its staff and will cease to function. Read more on the Generation Rent website.

Small Builders Are Starved Of Funding In the Help to Buy Boom

Britain's small builders are facing a major funding crisis that is threatening economic recovery and hitting hopes of delivering the new homes the country desperately needs. While big builders report booming business, independent construction firms that are vital to the industry are struggling to get money from the leading banks. There are almost a million independent construction firms, accounting for 20 per cent of all small and medium-sized companies.  But the latest Bank of England lending figures show that they account for a paltry 7 per cent of all bank lending to firms of a  comparable size. And, despite the recovery in construction, the figure is actually down from 11 per cent in 2011. Read more on the Daily Mail website.