Oct. 31, 2016—Falls Church, VA— Increased crowds, noise, and safety are top concerns for community associations across the U.S. this Halloween, according to new research by Community Associations Institute (CAI). CAI, the leading authority in community association governance, education, and management, conducted a survey titled, "HOAs and Halloween: a Trick or a Treat?" of its homeowner and community manager members.
According to the survey, 93 percent of respondents said their association has not made any changes to its community policies regarding Halloween. While 86 percent of those surveyed report their association does not have special rules for the spooky day and 83 percent report their community does not have a policy for neighborhood trick-or-treating.
What are the challenges facing community associations on Oct. 31? Twenty-two percent of communities report they hire extra security and enlist the help of the neighborhood watch volunteers. In addition, 13 percent of respondents said increased noise is a concern and 16 percent report growing crowds can impact neighborhood festivities.
"Trick-or-treating is a Halloween custom for millions, and with 338,000 community associations in the U.S., it can also be a challenging time for associations," said Tom Skiba, CAI chief executive officer. "Our members work tirelessly to ensure the safety of their association residents and preserve the character of the community."
So how do community associations celebrate the Halloween spirit? As communities search for ways to keep children safe and get a handle on traffic concerns, the survey found trunk-or-treating is becoming a widely popular alternative to walking from house to house. A tradition most commonly found in southern states where neighbors use a church or community parking lot and decorate car trunks to welcome trick-or-treaters. The survey also found the most common neighborhood celebrations include parties, parades, decoration and costume contests.
Methodology & Survey Demographics:
Survey invitations were sent electronically to 34,000 Community Associations Institute (CAI) members on October 11, 2016. The survey closed on October 17, 2016 with 175 responses. Ninety-five percent of the respondents are homeowners and five percent are renters in community associations. The majority of respondents (49 percent) live in a community association with more than 100 single family homes. View the results below.
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About Community Associations Institute
Community Associations Institute (CAI) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization founded in 1973 to foster competent, responsive, community associations through research, training, and education. CAI is an international membership organization dedicated to building better communities. With more than 34,000 members, CAI works in partnership with 60 chapters, including a chapter in South Africa, as well as with housing leaders in a number of other countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. We work to identify and meet the evolving needs of the professionals and volunteers who serve associations, by being a trusted forum for the collaborative exchange of knowledge and information, and by helping our members learn, achieve, and excel. Our mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership, and responsive citizenship—ideals reflected in associations that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.