Community associations are as popular as ever and keep growing across the U.S. Just like everything else recently, however, best practices for managing an association have changed over the past year. Is your association keeping up? Here are five takeaways from 2020 that may change the way you interact with each other and homeowners:
Communication changes will stay with us
One thing 2020 has brought a surge in technology use for communication, including board meetings and elections. Born from necessity, many of the changes adopted will likely continue in the future. If your association has not yet mastered the use of instant communication platforms, now is the time.
Responsible governance is more important than ever
Keeping a healthy reserve can prevent problems in the future. No one could have foreseen the challenges brought by this pandemic, but having a reserve allows an association to respond in an emergency. Similarly, keeping your governance documents up to date can help ensure smooth management in difficult times.
How resilient is your team?
If 2020 had a motto, it would be “stay flexible.” Plans have changed again and again as government officials and healthcare workers have attempted to create the right response to all the changing dynamics the pandemic has created. Associations will still need flexibility and resiliency in the foreseeable future.
Focusing on health and safety
Americans will likely never think of health the same way again. From cleaning common areas to handling deliveries to contemplating the health risk involved in repair work, community associations have a lot to think about moving forward. Many residents will likely expect proper sanitization to continue.
Online payments reduce busywork
Creating a platform for online payments may have been a necessary nuisance if you did not already have one. It is hard to deny the benefits to both the association and homeowners, however, once the system is running. Many association managers say they will require online payments in the future because of the benefits.
This year has brought challenges to all community associations. Learning to adapt and change may help your team to meet these challenges and even thrive in the future.