Community Management: Creating a Sense of Community for Your Homeowners

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Community Management Creating a Sense of
Community for Your Homeowners
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Community Management

• Productive community management means homeowners
  will become vested not only in their own
  properties, but in the neighborhood as a whole.
• The homeowners association (HOA) plays a critical
  role is this management.
• Bringing homeowners together for the good of the
  neighborhood is more important than ever.
• Even though neighbors may live physically close
  together in HOAs, they arent necessary close as
  people.
• In fact, many neighbors dont even know each
  others names.
• Busy schedules often make socializing in the
  community difficult.
• So, its the boards community management job to
  convince homeowners of the benefits of
  connecting.

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Community Management

• Use neighborhood common areas
• By leveraging clubhouses, recreational facilities
  and other common areas, HOA boards can bring
  together members in an informal way.
• Places to go with amenities available make it
  easier for homeowners to venture out and meet
  other HOA members.
• Promoting these casual interactions is one of the
  easiest community management efforts a HOA board
  can make.
•  
• Promote open communication
• The board must exhibit strong communication
  skills to be successful with its community
  management. However, the communication must go
  both ways.
• In other words, the board must be open to the
  ideas, thoughts and concerns of the members.
• The board should not just communicate to its
  members.

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Community Management

• Schedule fun events
• The goal behind these community management events
  is to help neighbors get to know each other.
• Especially in large neighborhoods, neighbors may
  not know their immediate neighbors names.
• By organizing enjoyable events, the HOA board can
  promote a sense of unity.
•  
• Try to make community involvement appealing
• Persuading members to volunteer time and energy
  on behalf of the HOA will always be difficult.
• However, its a crucial part of the boards
  community management directive.
• The board needs to clearly show why everyone
  needs to contribute to the HOA and what happens
  if not enough volunteers come forward.

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Community Management

• Effectively communicate the HOAs rules
• Good community management requires that every
  member understand the rules. Without effective
  communication of the rules, the HOA will likely
  experience member conflicts and confusion over
  policies.
• These misunderstandings can lead to member
  involvement, but it might end up being in a
  dysfunctional sort of way.
•  
• Create a welcoming committee
• Some HOA boards have had great success with
  community management by creating a welcoming
  committee.
• This committee meets new members soon after they
  move into the neighborhood. The committee can
  bring the new homeowners a small gift, welcome
  kit and other community resources.
• The goal of this meeting is to make new members
  feel welcome and hopefully persuade them to
  become actively involved.

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Community Management

• Creating a sense of community takes hard work on
  the part of the entire neighborhood.
• The HOA board isnt solely responsible for
  community management.
• Every homeowner has a vested interest in making
  sure the community is as well run as it can be.
• AAM works with many of the largest homebuilding
  and community development companies in the United
  States such as Del Webb/Pulte, Shea Homes and
  Meritage Homes.
• Founded in 1990, the company employs 370 people
  and manages over 400 homeowners associations in
  the United States.
• AAM is dedicated to delivering total peace of
  mind to the Boards of Directors and homeowners in
  the communities it manages.

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About the Author
Susan Williams is Vice President, Business
Development and Marketing at AAM Community
Management, one of America's most-respected
Homeowner Association (HOA) management companies.
Learn more about Community Management by
visiting http//www.AssociatedAsset.com.