Currently, one out of every three people in California live in some type of planned community governed by a homeowners association (HOA). More than 42 million people in the United States live under HOA rules.

According to recent estimates by the California Department of Real Estate, up to 80 percent of all future residential communities will be common interest developments (CID) with an HOA.

With that in mind, it’s getting even more critical that new homebuyers who move into a CID fully understand the implications and benefits of an HOA and quickly develop a sense of belonging. Have you considered a neighborhood Greeting Committee whose purpose is to welcome new residents as well as inform them about the HOA? Do you send out information about how the association works to your new buyers?

While it starts with understanding the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), living in an HOA involves constant interaction with people. Does your association have an easy-to-read rules booklet that takes the information from the documents and makes it easy to read and understand? Do you work to keep tenants just as informed as owners?

For board members, it is important to remind yourself and your homeowners about the importance of “community.” After all, you are neighbors!

“What is my role as a board member?” many often ask. One answer to that question is that board members should connect with individual residents and show them that the HOA is a service run by caring people, not an impersonal bureaucracy. Time spent nurturing relationships will bring big dividends in the future.

Board members should also remind themselves that serving on the board means more than simply enforcing compliance to the governing documents. It’s more than measuring delinquency rates, the number of work orders processed, the number of violations or their performance against budget. An HOA is more than common areas, rules and money. It is home!

At its root, it involves people. The “backbone” of any HOA is an active and involved membership. How does your board communicate with the membership? Do you have a newsletter? Do you organize any community events, so members can meet their neighbors and the board? Do you remind people on a regular basis of general rules, so that you don’t have to single them out with violation letters that are time consuming to prepare and often cause anger when they are received? Do you organize committees or gather feedback when facing major community decisions?

A successful HOA is generally one in which homeowners assume an active role in the association’s function, not only by attending meetings, voting and paying dues, but also by taking an active role in the actual functioning of the association by running for the elected offices, serving on committees and generally participating in group activities.

It’s clear that our society is becoming more distant. Many people are feeling left out. They desperately need to feel that they’re part of their own community. Putting people first, which means creating a community for them to prosper in, is the essence of an HOA.

Board members should nurture relationships and encourage people to talk to one another. Getting people talking and getting people interacting with each other is critical to running a successful association.

Sometimes, homeowners will complain to the management company about a situation, when talking to their neighbor could simply solve their problem. Also, homeowners should not expect the board to mediate every gripe; instead, first think about knocking on your neighbor’s door.

Homeowners, especially new residents, are often skeptical about HOAs. They fear “condo commandos” or “Big Brother type” governments. Unfortunately, heavy handed rules and arbitrary enforcement can be blamed for pitting neighbor against neighbor, and turning serene subdivisions into raucous battle zones. Many CIDs are really starting to cause consumer resentment.

But, board members can make their community a better place to live by positively connecting with residents; then, those residents will begin to bond with the community as a whole.

Once homeowners make this connection, they will be more eager to get involved in the governing process and more interested in volunteering. For example, a homeowner who understands the association’s violation appeals process will probably have a more constructive response to a violations notice compared to a resident who is unaware of the how the HOA works.

Board members should also promote consensus. It’s less costly to prevent conflicts rather than to fight over them. If the board cannot vote unanimously, perhaps there should be a delay for additional study or consideration. After all, what’s the benefit of a four-to-three board vote? Most of the time, the only result is a continuation of the power struggle. Board members should encourage resolving issues so that they can reach a vote that is best for the community as a whole. Then, everyone can feel part of the process and are more likely to help “sell” decisions to other homeowners.

When board members and homeowners work to promote a sense of community by open communication, the HOA will run more smoothly and everyone wins!

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Author : Eleanor Hugus
Company : N.N. Jaeschke
E-mail : eleanorh@nnj.com
Website : www.nnj.com
Eleanor Hugus is the president of N.N. Jaeschke Inc. of San Diego, Calif.

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