Do you know you are among the more than 60 million Americans who live in homeowners associations and condominium communities? We think most residents are happy living in our community—and we certainly hope you are among them—but how do these 60 million residents feel about their own associations? 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:
- 71 percent of residents say they are satisfied with their community association experience. Only 12 percent express dissatisfaction and 17 percent are neutral on the question.
- 89 percent believe their association board members strive to serve the best interests of the community, while 11 percent say the opposite or they aren’t sure.
- 76 percent say their professional managers provide value to their communities, while 24 percent say the opposite or they aren’t sure.
- 70 percent believe their community association rules “protect and enhance” property values. Only 2 percent say rules harm property values, while about 29 percent see no difference or didn’t know.
We’d like to think that we would do even better than the national averages. If you feel differently, please let us know what you think we can do to make our community a better place to live. If you’re especially pleased about our community, share that too! It’s always good to know we’re on the right track.
More national survey results, which include comparative data from similar surveys in 2005 and 2007, are available under “Research Projects” at www.cairf.org.
