Tenants association forced to close

The Tenants Protection Association is trying to raise $50,000 to reopen its doors after financial constraints slammed them shut.

The Christchurch community agency has provided free and confidential advice to tenants, and advocated for tenants’ rights and welfare for over 40 years.

The association announced on its Facebook page it had ceased trading on Wednesday ‘‘due to financial constraints’’.

‘‘The board is still seeking support but there is no guarantee to our future,’’ the post said. Manager Cristene TrenuelaChan said the loss of funders and the impact of Covid-19 had meant the company had no choice but to close.

After receiving ‘‘overwhelming aroha’’ in response to the news, the association said it was ‘‘willing to fight to the end to ensure we are here to serve our community’’ in another post.

It had started a Givealittle page to raise the $50,000 needed to keep its doors open, the post said.

‘‘We are grateful for all the messages of love we are receiving from the community,’’ Trenuela-Chan said.

The money raised would be used to pay off preferential creditors, which would allow the association to resume its work, she said.

The fundraising effort might not raise enough to sustain the association to continue to operate in the same way but would buy it time to ‘‘create a more sustainable option for the future’’, Trenuela-Chan said.

‘‘It might be a different Tenants Protection Association when we surface at the other end. It is so vital for tenants, it has to keep going.

‘‘Housing is such a big issue and no-one supports tenants. The work needs to keep going,’’ she said.