First Person: Support Your Homeowners Association

(Monday night the City Council recognized Outstanding Leaders for 2011. In an e-mail message circulated before the ceremony, City Councilwoman Joyce Starosciak noted how many of the honorees were current or past leaders of homeowners associations (HOAs). Patch is reprinting her note as a First Person article. Jump to the bottom for help in finding your association.)

By Councilwoman Joyce Starosciak

City Hall can’t do it all.  We need volunteers often in the form of Homeowners Associations to improve our quality of life in San Leandro. Whether you think of it every day or not, your quality of life is dependent on the strength of your local Homeowners Association (HOA).

Here are 5 good reasons to support your HOA.

Great Schools: Studies have shown that schools are better in areas with stronger homeowners associations. The community provides eager volunteers, financial resources, engaged parents and experienced leaders. Some of the support from HOAs to schools include: scholarships for graduates, wisdom provided to oversight committees and school site committees, opportunities for neighborhood service, feedback to the school administration, and volunteers for clean-up days and school ballot measures. All of this support adds to the strength of the local schools to make them great. 

Beautiful Neighborhoods: Before community compliance officers, homeowners associations took the primary responsibility of enforcing community standards.  Homes that were run down or poorly maintained received attention and assistance from the HOA. Sidewalk cracks, potholes, lighting and garbage problems that are reported by the HOA are addressed right away. The HOA lobbies the City to focus infrastructure funds to improving the neighborhood. 

Lower Crime: Neighborhood Watch programs are coordinated through the homeowners association. Meetings on crime reduction, crime trends, and opportunities to get to know your neighbors are all regular activities of your HOA. Assistance in targeting crime hotspots, reporting suspicious activity, and supporting our police officers are three of the many ways the HOA works with our Police department to lower crime in the area. 

Better Businesses: Encouraging local support of merchants, HOAs are in the forefront of providing better shopping and other retail opportunities for the neighborhood. Through advertising opportunities, lobbying for parking and storefront improvements, seeking out and commenting on potential business ventures, your HOA is always looking out for your interests.  Their goal is to find quality and neighborhood-friendly retail establishments.  Many merchants open in the neighborhood because they live here too. Quality retail requires constant feedback to our merchants from the HOA and likewise, our community responds by patronizing our local merchants. 

Local Communication: The semi-annual newsletter in Washington Manor gets information to every single residence in the HOA. More than the San Leandro Times or other news source, the WHOA newsletter discusses neighborhood topics and concerns, provides historical information, advertises for local business, and keeps residents informed with contacts and meeting dates. Communication at this level is directly relevant to their life.   

Still not convinced?

If you are still asking – “What does a strong neighborhood association mean to me personally?” or “What difference would my involvement make?”  Directly, it means that your property values will be higher.  Great schools, low crime, and beautiful neighborhoods are the primary reasons properties increase in price.  More importantly, though, a strong HOA means a rich quality of life, and that will always be priceless.

Yet HOAs are becoming endangered species. Volunteers are becoming scarce and residents are counting on City Hall to provide more services.  Our limited tax dollars will not be able to maintain the quality of life without resident volunteers organized through HOAs.  Please consider attending your next Homeowners Association meeting to learn more about your neighborhood issues.

In my district, the residents of Washington Manor have many wonderful amenities. When they are visiting the Manor Branch library, swimming at Washington Manor pool, playing at Manor Middle School, bowling at Manor bowl, or using a newsletter coupon at Porky’s Pizza on Manor Blvd., they give a silent THANK YOU to the Washington Homeowners Association for their work on behalf of Washington Manor.

As you take part in your own neighborhood, you can also thank your own Homeowners Association for the wonderful life you enjoy there.

(To find your homeowners association or neighborhood association, consult the PDF posted with this story or visit the city's Neighborhood News web page. The map of neighborhood associations is the fourth item from the bottom of that page. The third item from the bottom will tell you how to contact your association.)