Throughout the year CAI will need your help in telling your story to elected officials of how legislation will impact you and your community. Whether you live in or provide services for a community association, legislation will be introduced this year that if passed could impact your home, community and pocket book.
State legislatures were 17 times more productive than Congress last year, and change does not appear on the horizon. The previous (113th) Congress introduced 9,252 and passed 352 bills; the states in comparison introduced 180,808 bills and passed 45,564. In 2017 CAI and our state volunteer Legislative Action Committees (LACs) will sift through over all pieces of legislation. History has shown that in all about 1,000 pieces of legislation will be introduced that directly impact community associations and about 125 of those will become law.
The 1,000 bills that were introduced at the state level across the country and directly relevant to community associations come from a variety of sources. Some are pushed by our LACs to promote the ability of how associations may govern themselves and increase homeowner protections. Some are pushed by trade and industry organizations to promote their bottom line, increasing returns to stakeholders at the cost of homeowners and associations. Legislation may also be introduced by legislators who hear from a constituent on a personal crusade against community associations. Statistics show 87 percent of homeowners that live in a community association have a positive or neutral experience, yet the 12-13 percent who reportedly have an overall negative experience will drive a majority of the pieces of legislation to being introduced.
CAI believes community associations should have the authority to govern themselves. Each community has its own history, personality, attributes and challenges and most issues are better addressed among neighbors within the community not by legislators.
However, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. When that one constituent calls their legislator day in and day out to complain about their community, the legislator wants to help that one constituent and does not always realize the implications on the other 99 homeowners in the community. This is when your voice especially crucial, and the consequences of inaction are far greater than the commitment to act.
We hope you answer when we send out the calls to action. It does not take as much as you think to advocate. CAI has technology that connects you to your elected officials. Our volunteers craft messaging to emphasize the importance and effect of the legislation. We provide you a fully-editable template message (phone, email or social networking) that you can personalize as much as you like. You can also choose to simply enter your information and click “send;” in as little as 30 seconds you will become an advocate for your community. Together we are stronger and our unified voice is louder.
Thank you in advance for taking action! If you are interested in learning more about our advocacy efforts, visit and explore http://www.caionline.org/advocacy.
