The strength of a community lies in its members, and there’s no better way to foster a sense of community than by engaging homeowners as active volunteers. As a board member, you must encourage homeowners not only to attend meetings, vote, and pay dues, but also to take an active role in the governance of their community by serving on committees, running for board positions, and participating in association activities.

Associa has brought boards and homeowners together for decades. In this ebook, we provide our top six tips for connecting with residents and encouraging participation.

Creating HOA Committees 

Committees are a crucial part of any successful homeowners’ association. Comprised of volunteers, HOA committees help support the board, so they can focus their efforts on accomplishing operational duties and achieving goals. To encourage participation, consider inviting homeowners to join a committee that matches their interests. Some common committees include:

1. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

A crucial component of maintaining a community’s aesthetics and home values is a well-run architectural review committee. While most HOAs have a system in place to review and approve architectural requests from association members, very few are fulfilling their duties in an easy way. The architectural review committee, or ARC, is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the community’s architectural guidelines.

2. WELCOME COMMITTEE

The welcome committee is in charge of meeting and greeting each new homeowner. Acting as the first impression to new homeowners, committee members welcome residents with a friendly introduction to the community. This might include anything from a high-level overview of the rules and processes to a welcome packet filled with important information about the association, including contact phone numbers, a list of nearby restaurants, and snacks.

3. SOCIAL COMMITTEE

The HOA social committee takes on creating enthusiasm and maintaining interest in the managed community lifestyle. In doing so, the committee is tasked with everything involved in planning and hosting social events, such as garage sales, block parties, or a recipe exchange. With the amount of organization and structure needed for each event, committee members must clearly understand their goals, the funds available for events, and how they’re expected to account for funds.

4. LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE

Part of the appeal of living in a managed community is the clean and attractive aesthetic, but maintaining an association’s landscape is a group effort. The role of the landscape committee is to ensure the community’s grounds are cared for and tended to regularly. Responsibilities may include upkeep of flower beds, lawns, and trees or finding a landscaping vendor and maintaining that relationship in accordance with the association’s governing documents.

5. HOMEOWNER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

While most residents take pride in their homes and will do anything to protect them, many homeowners struggle to see the bigger picture of living in an HOA. This committee changes that by educating homeowners on the benefits of living in a community association and the importance of being engaged. This group may hold orientations for new residents to help them understand community living or host quarterly informational meetings for existing homeowners to interact with board members.

6. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

A neighborhood watch program promotes safety and improves the quality of life for the community. This team helps keep the community secure by doing things like forming a nighttime patrol group or installing lights in dark parking areas. Maintaining a strong partnership with the local police department and sharing crime prevention and emergency response information with residents are also to-dos for a neighborhood watch team.

7. BUDGET COMMITTEE

The budget committee should be comprised of homeowners but led by the board treasurer and receive input from the HOA president, community manager, and the leader of the finance committee. Committee members are committed to the budget with a business plan in place that addresses both immediate and long-term needs and wants. 

8. CONTRACT REVIEW COMMITTEE

Vendor contracts are often large and complex. The contract review committee reviews vendor contracts to make sure the association is getting what it wants and is charged appropriately for the services rendered. This committee should also allow the association’s attorney to assess documents and provide guidance. Other tasks may include conducting annual performance reviews with vendors.