[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS PROVIDE VALUE TO RESIDENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

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                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2018

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, community associations are an expanding 
phenomenon and the preferred form of new residential developments 
approved by local governments across this country. These developments 
consist of planned communities in the form of condominiums, 
cooperatives, and single-family homes. Local governments appreciate 
these developments because they offer residents private amenities such 
as pools, sport courts, parks, walking trails, and other amenities that 
would otherwise be provided and maintained with public dollars. In 
fact, an estimated $88 billion is collected annually in dues from 
community association residents to pay for essential association 
obligations including the installation and maintenance of amenities.
  The growth of planned communities is showcasing a residency choice 
selected by more and more Americans each year. As of 2017, 
approximately 70 million Americans reside in nearly 350,000 community 
associations across the country. Residents enjoy this type of living 
for a number of reasons including a sense of community, access to 
aforementioned private amenities, enforcement of aesthetic standards 
set by the community, and regular maintenance of common areas. With 
democratically elected resident board members who volunteer to serve 
their community, this is arguably the most local form of government 
(quasi) that exists. Related to this, an estimated 2.36 million 
residents volunteer for service on their community's board of directors 
or other committees performing 80 million hours of volunteer service 
valued at $1.93 billion. Those are significant numbers.
  The financial benefit enjoyed by residents in planned communities is 
that home values are historically four to five percent higher than 
homes that are not in planned communities. That translates into the 
positive protection of property values in these communities and a 
higher return on investment when it comes time for owners to sell.
  Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that approximately half of these 
communities are self-managed either with just volunteers or 
professional staff hired and managed directly by the association's 
board of directors. The rest of these associations hire professional 
management companies to manage the operation of their communities and/
or their finances and provide counsel to the board of directors.
  Personally, I'm proud of the fact that the largest community 
association management company, Associa, is headquartered in Dallas, 
Texas, in my Congressional District. Associa employs nearly 10,000 
people across North America in 180 office locations operating in 35 
states as well as Canada and Mexico. Associa manages roughly 10,000 
communities, comprising more than 2.5 million units, and housing more 
than 5 million residents. Associa is a privately-owned company that was 
started by John Carona more than 40 years ago and he continues to lead 
the industry with constant innovation and unparalleled customer 
service. John is not only a successful businessman, but he is a humble 
public servant having served 24 years in the Texas State Legislature. I 
am proud to call him a supporter and friend of mine.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer these comments today because as community 
associations continue to grow they also continue to evolve as does the 
community association management industry. I am pleased that management 
companies like Associa are not satisfied with business-as-usual but 
rather choose to invest in world-class employee training and cutting 
edge technologies for their clients. By doing so, they help ensure 
well-run community associations and well-informed board members and 
residents. I extend my appreciation to Associa's employees and to the 
volunteers in community associations around the country for their 
service to their clients and communities.

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