An announcement is expected today about the future of the campaign group Generation Rent, which has been sharply critical of letting agents in the past.

Until recently the group – which claims to be “the only organisation that represents the UK’s 11m private renters who face the highest housing costs, the least stability and the worst quality housing” – has been funded by a grant from the Nationwide Foundation, part of the mortgage provider group.

However that funding has now ended and the group, which has three full time members of staff, has been appealling to supporters to raise £60,000 to save it.

The group put a video together to encourage supporters to contribute via a crowdfunding site. However, when the campaign closed last night less than £18,000 had been raised. 

“There is a real danger that the campaign will simply vanish, and with it the national voice of private renters in the media and political debate. We are working hard to secure new sources of long term funding, but this will take months and we need your help now. We need to raise £60,000 by 31 August” read the group’s crowdfunding appeal.

Generation Rent, whose high profile leader Alex Hilton resigned shortly after the general election, claims that since it began in March 2014 it has campaigned successfully to outlaw revenge evictions and cut landlord tax breaks.