Communication Tools Help HOAs Create Cohesive Communities

HOAs tend to have a bad rap. While homeowners want their property values to remain high, they may also resent what they see as burdensome fees and intrusive restrictions. However, an HOA board focused on building community can overcome these perceptions by implementing HOA software to facilitate effective communication and community connections. 

The best HOA management software makes it easy for boards to reach out to members and for members to communicate with one another. This communication results in authentic relationships within the HOA community. Members who feel right at home see their HOA membership as adding value to their lives. Forward-thinking HOA boards invest in effective communication tools that help nurture cohesive communities.

Types of HOA Communities

While rules and expectations differ among associations, the HOAs’ goals and benefits are the same: 

• Protect property values. 
• Meet the established expectations of residents.
• Preserve the nature of the community. 

Many different types of communities have HOAs. In these communities:

• Owners are automatically members.
• Governing documents create mutual obligations.
• Mandatory fees or assessments are generally levied against owners and used for the association’s operation.
• Owners share a property interest in the community.

The HOA and property owners share a mutual interest in maintaining properties and protecting everyone’s investment. If an HOA intentionally creates opportunities for HOA members to connect, then this mutual interest can also be the foundation for building community.

Subdivisions and Established Neighborhoods

These housing developments may include from 10 to hundreds of homes. Creating a cohesive community may pose a challenge depending on the size of your subdivision or neighborhood. The larger the neighborhood, the more far-flung neighbors are from one another. As an HOA member, you must seek effective communication strategies to unite people. 

Many housing developments of single-family homes have the advantage of common areas. Generally speaking, common areas are amenities or spaces in an HOA neighborhood available to all the association’s members. Common areas can include:

• pools 
• clubhouses 
• fitness centers
• tennis courts
• golf courses
• lakes 

HOA members are paying dues to maintain these amenities; as an HOA board member, you can capitalize on these common areas to create events during which neighbors can connect. While the size of your community may pose a challenge regarding homes’ proximity, it may also present the advantage of common areas where neighbors can come together. 

Condominiums and High-rises

In these communities, people live in close proximity to each other. HOA members are often working professionals or retirees. Professionals usually lack time to spend on leisure activities, including community-building events. Many retirees only live in their condos for part of the year. This can make it difficult for these HOA members to connect with neighbors and feel a sense of belonging in their communities. HOA boards in these communities may need to put focused effort into building awareness about community events and ways for residents to connect.

Planned Communities

Planned communities tend to include thousands of homes and are designed to facilitate recreation and the creation of community among residents. The Villages in Florida is typical of this type of housing development. The amenities in planned communities can include:

• pools
• water parks
• ponds 
• hiking trails
• exercise facilities
• indoor and outdoor parks

Often, scheduled activities and events occur in these common areas, so neighbors interact regularly. Many planned communities feature common areas and activities designed for seniors and kids. HOAs in these neighborhoods are concerned with property values and creating the conditions for a particular lifestyle. 

How to Bring Neighbors Together

Forward-thinking HOAs in any community can create opportunities for people to come together:

• Sports: the HOA can sponsor tennis or pickleball tournaments, community sports leagues, and children’s sports teams.
• Arts activities: Common areas are great for music lessons or group practices, writing workshops, painting, woodworking, jewelry-making, and other visual arts.
• Hobby clubs: HOAs can sponsor gatherings for model train enthusiasts, gardening clubs, amateur genealogists, and others.
• Community-building events: Seasonal events like Christmas decorating competitions, BBQ competitions, and golf cart or boat parades are fun for all ages.
• Neighborhood service projects: the HOA can facilitate food or clothing drives, establish a community service group, and organize one-day service projects. 

How to Minimize Division

As an HOA leader, you may fear a worst-case scenario: feuding neighbors within your community. However, your HOA can create expectations and policies to mitigate division. Restricting political signage or flags can prevent divisions along political lines. In every case, residents should clearly understand the rules that apply to themselves and their property. Periodic and clear explanations of rules can prevent violations and keep penalties to a minimum. Members must always receive clear communication regarding HOA policies and violations. 

Communication is Key to Building a Community

For HOAs to execute any of these great ideas, they need to be able to communicate quickly and effectively with members. HOA management software features communication tools that facilitate connections between HOA boards and members and amongst members. These tools empower residents to communicate even when they live on opposite sides of the neighborhood or separate floors in a high-rise building. Regular communication is critical to building the kinds of communities that people want to live in. 

When residents are integrated into their communities, HOA membership feels financially and personally valuable. A forward-thinking HOA board can bring people together by taking a mindful approach to building community. 

HOA Management Software Makes It Easy to Connect

With HOA software, communication is easy. HOA boards can send mass emails, automated phone calls, and text messages through a centralized communication platform. The board can easily reach out to gauge interest in an activity, send reminders, or communicate directly with organizers within the community. 

PayHOA communication tools help you create the conditions for residents to connect. PayHOA software enables HOA boards to create modernized newsletters that share success stories of community projects, highlight volunteer opportunities, and showcase examples of engagement initiatives that have positively impacted the neighborhood. By building awareness of community activities, HOA boards create more cohesive communities. 

HOA management software also facilitates quick and easy communication about a variety of logistical matters:

• meeting announcements
• emergency information 
• policy changes
• event announcements

In addition, the PayHOA software platform can boost community engagement by enabling real-time conversations and threads. Residents can view messages via email or a homeowner portal. The HOA board can create private boards or open forums so each topic has the appropriate audience. 

The PayHOA mass communication hub enables HOAs to: 

• Send emails to a targeted group or the whole community.
• Broadcast messages to residents at scheduled times.
• Email targeted groups or the whole community.
• Easily send mass texts.
• Send out reminders through automated phone calls.
• Log communication between the HOA and residents. 

With some intentional planning and effective communication, HOA boards prove that the value of their HOA goes beyond preserving property values. PayHOA management software gives you the communication tools to create the kind of community where people want to live. 

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PayHOA offers an HOA management software solution for HOAs of any size or managerial priorities. To find out if PayHOA fits all your HOA management needs, try our software free for 30 days.