HOAs are becoming increasingly common in the United States. Many new developers now have HOAs and old neighborhoods are often converted to them. That's why it's no surprise that 53% of homeowners now live in HOA communities.
But homeowners may not get much from their HOA if they don't get their say. Keep reading to learn HOA participation tips to improve attendance at HOA meetings and get residents involved.
Make a Good Schedule
Normal HOA homeowners probably don't have the time to set aside whenever they want for HOA meetings. They have busy lives at work and caring for their families. If you schedule meetings in the middle of the day, you may not see great attendance.
One of the best tips to improve HOA meeting turnout is to schedule meetings when people are free. Set them up for the evening after most people finish work, and you'll likely see more participation.
Create an Event
It's hard to drive excitement for HOA meetings. They are typically boring and don't provide much to do outside regular business. However, that doesn't mean you can't add excitement by attaching an HOA meeting to something.
One of the best HOA attendance strategies is to use events alongside HOA meetings. For example, you could organize a community barbeque and provide food at the meeting. This makes things more fun, provides activities for kids, and drives more engagement.
Set Agendas
Even if you can create a good meeting schedule and provide incentives to join, homeowners still need a reason to feel involved. If people don't know what's happening in the community, it's hard to justify making the time to attend meetings.
Make sure to set agendas to inform people about what's going on. It also pays to give people a way to provide feedback to ensure they have a voice and feel engaged in the HOA management process.
Use Technology
Even if you do your part to streamline HOA meetings and set reasonable meeting times, some people may be unable to attend. However, there are new tools that make this easier.
Software like Zoom and other tech tools allow people to connect to meetings from anywhere. Invest in these if people can't attend but wish to if you want to ensure everyone can participate.
Streamline the Meetings
The last thing you want to do when people volunteer their time is take up more than you need to. If people believe they'll lose their entire evening to HOA issues, they may skip meetings.
If you want to drive attendance above, make sure you don't let meetings drag on. You have an agenda, so the HOA board should stick to it.
Boost Attendance at HOA Meetings
An HOA is an amazing way to build a great community. However, it will only work well if the community stays involved and attends the HOA meetings to deal with issues. Use the advice above to increase HOA meeting engagement and encourage residents to help improve the neighborhood.
If you want your HOA to truly thrive, one of the best things you can do is invest in professional HOA management. At PMI Louisville, our services will help you improve Louisville community involvement and increase the value of your HOA. Reach out today to learn more about our services.
