April Centre

Colchester Charity, the April Centre ceased trading in late April this year. The April Centre had offices in Colchester and Clacton and over 80 tenants. Tenants that had been made homeless for a variety of reasons, had a deduction they were told taken from their Housing Benefit. This was so if they moved on and had managed their tenancy successfully,  they would have a deposit.   

According to Shelter; rent deposit schemes help people who could not otherwise afford a rent deposit to rent from a private landlord. Rent deposit schemes are usually run by a local council or housing association, or sometimes by a charity.

Rent deposit schemes offer loans to be used as deposits. Usually, the scheme-provider lends you the money in advance and you pay it back over a period of time from your wages or benefits. If there are no problems, you should get your deposit back as a lump sum at the end of your tenancy.

If you take up an assured short hold tenancy and pay a deposit to your landlord, the money must be placed in a UK government-backed tenancy deposit protection scheme.

Why was nothing put in writing to tenants about this scheme and why the April Centre, management or Trustees or the administrator, not contacted tenants when the charity ceased trading? 

The April Centre still exists and both a Company and a Charity.

What is not clear at the moment is; where is this deposit money? We are in Contact with the Charity Commission on this. As we find out more we will let you know.