HOA meetings are a key part of community governance and local decision-making. While one goal of an HOA is to keep house prices high, it also focuses on community improvement. After all, boosting the local real estate market is about making your neighborhood desirable.
Unfortunately, many HOA meetings in Houston have the same problem. The local community isn't engaged, and meetings suffer from low attendance. Looking for effective ways to boost meeting attendance? Read on to find out how.
Understand Why People Don't Attend
Your first action should be gathering information. HOA homeowners have many potential reasons for not attending meetings. The more information you have about why, the more you can create an effective strategy.
You should conduct surveys or informal polls. Find some way to solicit feedback from residents on why they don't attend. Often, you'll identify some common factors. Common reasons include inconvenient meeting times or lack of awareness.
Improve Your Communication
If it turns out local HOA homeowners are unaware of meetings, you need to work on your communication. This means ensuring meeting notifications are sent well in advance.
These days, people use a variety of communication platforms. Some people prefer to use social media, some prefer email, and some don't use the internet at all. An effective communication strategy takes everyone into account.
Make the Meetings Convenient
Another likely reason people might not attend meetings is because they're inconvenient. Many in the community work full-time. They might also have a long-distance commute.
In this case, attending a meeting that starts at 5:30 pm probably isn't feasible. Boost attendance by making times more convenient. Also, consider offering virtual attendance using platforms like Zoom.
Make the Meetings Relevant
If you really want to get the community engaged, focus on topics that have real meaning. Homeowners usually want to focus on topics that impact them directly. Think local community improvements, budget allocations, and local events.
Also, ensure there's adequate time for everyone to be heard. People should have every opportunity to express their concerns and make suggestions. HOA meetings should never be a one-way thing.
No matter how well your HOA is run, there's always room for improvement. The only way to find out about potential improvements is to solicit feedback.
Make People Feel Part of Something
One of the biggest reasons people attend HOA meetings is because they feel attached to the local community. If there's no community spirit in your HOA, it's unlikely you'll get many attendees.
One of the best ways to boost interest in meetings is to make the meetings more of a social event. You can organize community events taking place before or after the meeting.
Boost Attendance and Have Successful HOA Meetings
If you want to have successful HOA meetings, you need local homeowners to attend. To boost attendance, try to understand why people don't attend. You may need to make meetings more accessible, engaging, or relevant.
Are you an HOA manager looking for help with managing your HOA community? NAME is here to help. We have decades of experience helping HOAs be the best they can be. Perhaps we can take some of your workload off your shoulders so you can focus on having productive HOA meetings?
Contact us today to learn more.
