April marks Earth Month. CAI encourages all homeowners to reflect this month on the policies that communities might adopt to help promote a sustainable future and preserve our country’s natural beauty for future generations. CAI supports legislation that recognizes and respects the self-governance and contractual obligations community associations have to enact sustainable environmental policies at a local level.
Recognizing the unique character of each community, state legislatures should empower community associations to build locally driven, consensus-based solutions rather than impose a one-size-fits-all mandate on communities. Associations should be able to make changes that fit the needs of homeowners on their own schedule, not based on arbitrary state-driven policies. These changes can include planting a community garden, adopting new solar panel or portable solar device rules, limiting water use during periods of drought, installing an electric vehicle charging station, or simply installing timers on clubhouse lights.
Conservation issues also benefit from the governance process within community associations. Deed restrictions, bylaws, and rules provide a basis for the implementation, enforcement, and maintenance of conservation policies and projects. This process provides a democratic forum to collectively develop a range of solutions to meet the needs and values of the community. Fostering diverse approaches provide neighborhood-level laboratories for a range of sustainable solutions. Such local decision making should be respected and incentivized.
CAI encourages all communities to take time to have thoughtful discussions about how they can best promote sustainable practices locally over the coming year. CAI has resources to help guide association discussions on sustainability issues and direct associations to relevant sources to make transitions to sustainable practices:
- Environmental Sustainability Advocacy Priority Page. CAI’s hub for resources and guidance on environmental sustainability practices in community associations.
- Current Conservation, Sustainability, and Green Issues Public Policy. CAI’s public policy on the interplay between conservation issues and community association governance. Please note CAI is currently working on updates to this public policy, which will be available later this year.
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Public Policy. CAI’s public policy on electric vehicle charging stations in community associations.
- Solar Rights and Easements State Statutes. Solar panels in community associations legislation by state.
- Electric Vehicle Charging Station State Statutes. Legislation on electric vehicle charging stations in community associations by state.
- Foundation for Community Association Research Best Practices Report: Energy Efficiency. Best practices report for communities seeking to promote energy efficiency through retrofitting and other decisions.
- Foundation for Community Association Research Best Practices Report: Green Communities. Best practices report for communities looking to start benchmarking and meeting sustainability goals.
- Issue Brief: Is Your State EV Ready? Report on available financing programs for associations and homeowners looking to install an electric vehicle charging station.
For more information on CAI’s efforts to promote environmentally sustainable practices through legislation that empowers community association self-governance, visit CAI’s state legislative action committee webpages. Find end-of-legislative session reports detailing CAI’s efforts on solar panel legislation, electric vehicle charging stations, and more.
