Preparing For The Worst With An HOA Disaster Management Plan

Keeping meetings under one hour almost feels unattainable in HOA communities, especially with never-ending discussions, unnecessary segues, and disputes arising one after another.

For a lot of things, timing is everything — and the same applies to real estate. If you buy or sell a house at the wrong time, you can end up with great losses. Learn how seasons impact real estate value here.

How to Boost Crime Prevention in HOA Communities The HOA plays a major part in making residents feel safe in their own neighborhoods. Here are some of the ways your HOA board can help improve safety and security in the community: 1. Limit Possible Hiding Places In an HOA neighborhood, criminals can conceal themselves in a number of possible places. Thus, the HOA board must make it hard for these criminals to hide. That means investing in street lighting, especially at night. In fact, lighting has been shown to reduce crime rates . Dark corners and dimly lit alleys should receive proper lighting. The HOA should place light fixtures around the entire neighborhood, making sure no single area is too dark. Regular maintenance and repairs should also be done to ensure all lights remain functional and bright. When lights in common areas and streets fail to work properly, residents can start to feel uneasy. They may begin questioning your board’s ability to fulfill responsibilities and use member assessments effectively. In addition to lighting, you should also invest in landscaping services to facilitate safety in the neighborhood. Hire landscapers to regularly trim hedges, bushes, and trees. When shrubbery grows above a certain height, they make for prime hiding spots for criminals. 2. Create Security Practices for Vacation Season It is easy to see why crime rates, especially ones related to theft and property, tend to rise during the holiday season. When homeowners go on vacation and leave their homes unoccupied, thieves and other felons see it as the perfect opportunity to cause trouble. Therefore, your HOA board should set up safety protocols specifically designed to protect empty homes. Ask homeowners to leave a light on even when they are away. Residents should also pick up their vacationing neighbor’s mail and, if possible, park an extra car in their driveway. All of this helps create the illusion of someone staying at home. 3. Get Help from Volunteers and Professionals There is only so much that your board can personally do to ensure resident safety. Sometimes, crime prevention in HOA communities means asking for help. You can ask volunteers from the community to regularly inspect the neighborhood for any signs of crime. A neighborhood watch, for instance, is a great way to increase resident safety and encourage involvement at the same time. The size of your community, though, will determine whether or not it is more appropriate to seek help from professionals. Hiring a security service can take the burden from your board and fellow homeowners. Residents also tend to feel safer when experienced professionals are in charge of security in the community. These professionals can make rounds to inspect the neighborhood’s safety or even work with resident volunteers. It is also a good idea to turn to your local police department for assistance. Work with a liaison or ask a police officer to speak at a gathering to orient residents on how they can ensure safety and security in the community. 4. Keep Residents Informed and Connected Making sure your residents stay in the loop is imperative when it comes to crime prevention in HOA communities. Keep residents informed on the latest news, including any recent crimes in or near the community as well as any changes to safety rules. You can do this with the help of a digital monthly newsletter and even include safety tips that residents can adopt. Keeping members updated can also promote a sense of community in your HOA. A closer community will make it easier for your board to set up and implement safety protocols. It also helps when neighbors are friends because they can keep an eye out for each other. To foster a close community in your HOA, make sure you schedule enough social events throughout the year. This will allow neighbors to get to know each other better and form a friendship. Additionally, you can incorporate safety orientations into your social calendar. 5. Enforce the Rules and Be Ready for Legal Issues A lot of HOA boards make the mistake of assuming residents will follow the safety rules set forth no matter what. Unfortunately, the reality is that many homeowners either forget about the rules or ignore them altogether. As a member of the HOA board, your job is to remind residents of the safety regulations in place as well as any new regulations or changes to existing ones. There will also be times when you welcome new members into the community. These new members do not know of your rules yet, so you must find a way to educate them or make the rules accessible to them. This will allow you to promote safety and security within the community at all times. In case a crime does take place, your HOA must be prepared. Familiarize yourself with your legal obligations. If a resident files a lawsuit against you, you must know how to handle them. This is when a board member with legal experience will come in handy. If you do not have such a member, though, it is wise to consult with an attorney who has dealt with homeowners associations before. An HOA attorney can help you navigate the many confusing legalities of every type of situation. What Is the Role of the Police? Although your HOA has rules within your community, it is not up to the police to enforce them. The police technically have no authority to deal with violations of HOA covenants. However, if the violation in question is related to illegal activity, then the police do have authority over it. If a resident has committed an illegal act, inform the police immediately. Whatever the case may be, though, it is essential that you have evidence to back up your claim. If you do not have any form of proof, then the police are unable to conduct an investigation. The same goes for HOA violations. Without proof, the HOA cannot send a violation letter to the homeowner with the alleged violation. It Takes a Village Crime prevention in HOA communities is not something that the HOA board can single-handedly accomplish. It takes an entire community to keep the neighborhood safe. In the same way HOA board members take action to ensure safety, residents must also do their part whether that means volunteering or even just keeping informed.

Here are some of the ways you can use to recruit HOA board members: 1. Inspire with Your Recruitment Letter Sometimes, residents just need a little nudge in the right direction to get them started on the path of serving on the HOA board. And that all begins with your recruitment letter. Your board member recruitment letter needs a powerful and moving message to inspire residents. You can do that by outlining what the HOA board does for the community and its members. See to it that you stress how essential board member roles are to the success of the association. Additionally, your recruitment letter should include hints as to what kind of members you’re looking for. Keep in mind that the HOA board should always be in search of new ideas. Encourage residents to share their thoughts and make the letter as inviting as possible. 2. Make Homeowners Feel Their Talents Are Needed A lot of homeowners feel apprehensive about volunteering for the community because they don’t think they’re needed. They believe they don’t possess the skills or talents required for the job. This is a common perception that homeowners have because they think the only thing the board does is financial management. While managing the HOA’s finances is certainly an important aspect of the job, it’s not the only aspect there is. HOA boards also need members who are equipped with expertise and skills in other areas such as community management, information technology, construction, and design. Any talent they have is valuable, and that will help you entice more residents into joining the board. If you feel like your board needs someone with great organizational skills, then it’s worth personally approaching candidates who possess such skills. Let them know you need their talents and how the board can greatly benefit from their participation. 3. Use Complaints as an Opportunity to Recruit Members Many homeowners have complaints — that’s just the way it is. If a particular homeowner informs you of their dissatisfaction with how your board is running the show, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In a lot of ways, complaints can be useful to your board. However, you have to learn how to separate the homeowners who make petty complaints just for the fun of it from the ones who actually turn complaints into useful suggestions. It’s the latter that you need to keep an eye out for. Such complaints give you a chance to encourage passionate homeowners to get involved. If homeowners approach you with complaints, try to look beyond them and determine whether the homeowners want to contribute something to the community. Perhaps you can convince them to play a more active role in helping the association improve. It’s also important to address the concern they bring up. This will make them see that the board cares and has power enough to make positive changes in the community. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to personally talk to them about board recruitment as you give them updates on their issue. 4. Assign Hesitant Recruits to Committee Roles First Far too often, homeowners feel reluctant to join the HOA board because of the amount of work involved. Many are afraid to take on so much responsibility, especially if it’s their first time. After all, joining the board is a big commitment. A great way to assuage their fears is to start these new recruits in positions that don’t require too much commitment. Let them serve on a committee of their choice first. From there, you can slowly encourage them to take on bigger roles and make them see that serving on the board isn’t as scary as they made it out to be in their head. 5. Do Something Marketing for Your Board Out of sight, out of mind — that saying applies to the HOA board a majority of the time. Because homeowners don’t see board members often, they usually forget that the board even exists. This is especially true if the board is functioning like a well-oiled machine. It’s hard to notice the board if you don’t have anything to complain about. Although members shouldn’t join the board for the fame or added clout, there’s still value in marketing the board to homeowners. By letting homeowners see how important board members are to the community, they’re more likely to develop an interest in serving the community in the same way. Make sure all homeowners are aware of the opportunities for participation that exist in the community. Communicate the ways people can get involved using your newsletter or HOA website. You can also personally approach members as well, especially if you have your eye on a skilled resident. 6. Be Ready with Answers Interested homeowners will naturally have a ton of questions to ask about the open board positions. Some of the questions you might encounter include: ● Do you think I have enough experience for the job? ● How much time do I need to commit to the role? ● What sort of tasks should I expect to carry out? You need to know the answers to these questions, so make sure to prepare yourself ahead of time. Make sure your answers don’t scare potential candidates away. But, you should also be as honest as you can about the requirements of the job. This is also a great opportunity for you to educate interested homeowners about the board position. 7. Appoint Homeowners, If Your Bylaws Permit This won’t apply to all homeowners associations, but some governing documents do allow board members to simply assign a member to a board member role. If you already know someone who is perfectly qualified and suited for the position, then appointing them is a no-brainer. This works out especially well in the event that a sitting board member needs to resign from their position midway through. Of course, don’t just appoint someone out of the blue. Not a lot of homeowners will take kindly to a surprise designation. Make sure to first talk to the candidate to gauge their interest in the position. A Strong Board Starts with Recruitment Your HOA board is only as good as the members that make it up. Therefore, you must recruit HOA board members who are willing, capable, and passionate about the community. That’s often easier said than done. But, armed with these tips, you’re definitely on the right path.

Why Do You Need to Improve Indoor Air Quality? Indoor air quality refers to the quality of air within a building or structure. The presence of air pollutants has an impact on the health and comfort of its occupants. The most common sources of air pollutants include building materials, cleaning products, fuel-burning appliances, HVAC systems, moisture, and tobacco smoke. Exposure to air pollutants can lead to a variety of health issues including eye, nose, and throat irritation, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and allergies. Long-term exposure, on the other hand, can lead to heart disease, respiratory disease, or cancer. In a residential community, the HOA is responsible for maintaining the indoor air quality in common areas such as the clubhouse, function rooms, fitness centers, and offices. This is so that homeowners can enjoy HOA amenities safely and comfortably. Thus, HOAs should make sure to include indoor air quality in their maintenance plans. 5 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your HOA Here are great ways to improve indoor air quality in the common areas of your community. 1. Lead and Asbestos Removal Older communities may have been constructed with lead and asbestos, which we now know are toxic materials. When asbestos particles are dislodged, they can be easily inhaled. It can lead to shortness of breath, persistent coughing, fatigue, and chest pain. Long-term exposure can also lead to asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Meanwhile, when lead-based paint chips or crumbles, these particles can also be inhaled. Lead is most dangerous for older adults, pregnant women, and children. It can lead to anemia, kidney damage, or brain and nervous system damage. HOAs should conduct a thorough inspection of common areas to see if lead-based paint and asbestos were used in construction. Have these toxic materials removed by professionals as soon as possible for the safety of your homeowners. 2. Improve Air Circulation Excess moisture can promote the growth of mold in basements, bathrooms, and other areas without proper ventilation. Black mold is a major health risk; inhalation of spores can cause chronic fatigue, chronic coughing, and persistent headaches. To improve indoor air quality, HOAs can install additional bathroom vents and humidifiers in common areas. Adding plants throughout common areas can also reduce humidity. Don’t forget to open doors and windows to increase air circulation throughout the day. 3. Switch to Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products A lot of commercial cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When these compounds react with air molecules, they form particulate matter and ozone that can be hazardous to your health. If you want to improve indoor air quality in HOA common areas, consider switching to eco-friendly cleaning products. Green cleaning products are just as effective but do not contain hazardous chemicals. Apart from improving air quality, becoming a green HOA can also help save the environment. 4. Keep Floors Clean, Vacuum Regularly Many air pollutants settle on floors and when kicked up by foot traffic, are recirculated back into the air. As such, thorough and regular floor cleaning will help improve indoor air quality in your HOA. Carpeted common areas should be vacuumed at least twice a week. Make sure to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap air pollutants and prevent them from recirculating back into the air. Hot water extraction is also recommended every 6 months. Meanwhile, non-carpeted floors should be mopped and vacuumed at least twice a week. 5. Ban Smoking in Common Areas Smoking not only affects the health of the smoker but also everyone who inhales second-hand smoke. HOAs can ban smoking in common areas to protect indoor air quality and the health of the entire community. If there is a need for it, you can set up a smoking area that is far enough from the common areas. Make sure that this rule is strictly implemented and all offenders should face the consequences. If you are collecting fines, the money can be reinvested into air cleaning products for the HOA common areas. Indoor Air Quality and Quality of Life in Your HOA Indoor air quality in HOA common areas is not often thought about, but it can have a major impact on the quality of life of your residents. The first step is to pay attention to your common areas and identify potential sources of air pollution. Next, consider the five ways to improve indoor air quality to safeguard the health of your community.

ARC Committee Review Process