Board Members Can Promote a Sense of Community

Currently, one out of every three people in California lives 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? Do you have an association website to keep people informed of what's going on in the community?

While it starts with understanding the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R's), 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 business run by caring people, not an impersonal bureaucracy. Time spent nurturing relationships will bring forth big dividends in the future.

Board members should also remind themselves that serving on the board means more than simply enforcing compliance with the governing documents. It's more than measuring delinquency rates, the number of work orders processed, the number of violations or their performance measures 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 that 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 can often cause anger when 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 governance of the association by running for the elected offices, serving on committees, and participating in group activities.

It's clear that our society is becoming more distant. Many people today feel left out. They desperately need to sense 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 to interact with each other is critical to maintaining a successful association.

Sometimes, homeowners will complain to the management company about a situation next door when merely talking to their neighbor could solve their problem. Homeowners should not expect the board to mediate every disagreement. Instead, one should first think about knocking on the neighbor's door.

Homeowners, especially new residents, are often skeptical about HOA's. They fear "condo commandos" or "Big Brother-type" government. Unfortunately, heavy-handed rules and arbitrary enforcement can be blamed for pitting neighbor against neighbor and turning serene subdivisions into raucous battle zones. Some CID 's are to blame for causing consumer resentment. 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 violation notice than a resident who is unaware of how the HOA operates.

Board members should also promote consensus. It's less costly to prevent conflicts than to deal with the aftermath. 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 split 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 a part of the progress to come.

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

Eleanor Hugus
CEO
N.N. Jaeschke Inc.
San Diego, CA