How Do We Compare?

We think most of our neighbors are happy living in our community—and we certainly hope you are among them. But how do the more than 65 million Americans who live in homeowners associations and condominium communities feel about their own homeowners associations and condominium communities? Are they happy with their elected boards? How do they feel about the rules?

The Foundation for Community Association Research, an affiliate of Community Associations Institute (CAI), sponsored a recent national public opinion survey to answer these and other questions. Here are some of the key findings:

• 90% of residents rate their overall community association experience as positive (64%) or neutral (26%).

• 90% of residents say association board members “absolutely” or “for the most part” serve the best interests of their communities.

• 83% say they get along well with their immediate neighbors.

• 92% say they are on friendly terms with their association board members.

• 83% of residents say their community managers provide value and support to residents and their associations.

• 88% of residents who had direct contact with their community manager say it was a positive experience.

• 70% of residents say their association’s rules protect and enhance property value; only 4% say the rules harm property values.

We’d like to think that we would do even better than the national averages, so tell us what you think we can do to make our community an even better place to live. We encourage you to get involved, so let us know how you can help. Active and engaged residents are the way to build a true sense of community. If you’re especially pleased about our community, share that too! It’s always good to know we’re on the right track.

You can contact us by sending an e-mail or calling the manager or a board member.  We look forward to hearing from you.

More national survey results, which include comparative data from similar surveys in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014, are available at http://www.caionline.org/2014survey.