Remembering Why We Need Community Associations

As the season changes from balmy summer temps to cooler Fall afternoons, it strikes me as a time for reflection about this whole business of Community Associations and why we even have them in the first place. So why is it, exactly, that we allow ourselves to be governed by Community Associations and what are they doing for us that we cannot already do for ourselves? The answer? Plenty. And I'll tell you right now.

Every Community Association performs several important roles for the community in which it serves: a legitimate business entity, a governance structure, and a community champion. A successful Community Association provides its members with (1) organized and productive business operations, (2) thorough and effective communication, (3) fair and effective rules notification and enforcement, (4) programs designed to enhance the sense of community and enjoyment of the membership, and (5) certain municipal services where delivery by the Association is more efficient and of greater value to the members as a whole.

One primary benefit that Community Associations provide its membership is the power to improve each member's quality of life. Not only do members have a say regarding the rules and regulations by which the community is governed, but the Community Associations themselves have become a political force to be reckoned with in the arena of public affairs, including such weighty issues as urban redevelopment and environmental conservation. Some examples of the civic good resulting from Community Associations include: (1) cooperation with municipal agencies to deliver needed services to residents, (2) crime prevention initiatives, (3) political activism to support pro-community legislation, and (4) lobbying for recreational facilities including parks, libraries, and civic centers.

Now try and imagine what your community would be like without the influence of an Association. Several negative features are characteristic of communities that lack a mandatory-membership Community Association: (1) no authority to collects funds = no maintenance of common areas, (2) recreational facilities in dilapidated condition or closed entirely, (3) intermittent residential trash pickup, (4) inconsistent home maintenance, (5) inappropriate behavior by residents go unchecked, and (6) property values generally decline, resulting in a lower tax base for the municipality.

At one time or another, we've probably all had run-ins with our Community Association; however, if a proper perspective is maintained, it should be acknowledged that these entities do so much good for the community and society at-large, moreso than they are sometimes given credit for.

*thanks to Community Associations Institute for examples above, www.caihouston.org