The Community Associations Institute celebrates its silver anniversary this year as the nation's leading voice for condominium, cooperative and homeowners associations. Since CAI's founding in 1973, the number of community associations in the U.S. has burgeoned from 10,000 in the industry's infancy to 150,000 today, housing more than 32 million Americans. CAI offers the industry's largest collection of resources for community association homeowners, management companies and the professionals who provide products and services to them.

CAI's founding followed a landmark study on community associations published by the Urban Land Institute in 1964 that recognized the need for a national clearinghouse for consumer information on them. Today, CAI is a multidisciplinary alliance devoted to fostering effective community associations with the highest standards of quality, integrity and professionalism.

The institute is the industry's leading promoter of research, chronicler of current and future trends and practices and developer of innovations for the creation and operation of community associations. CAI publishes books, guides and periodicals on industry practices; represents stakeholders to state and federal legislative and regulatory bodies; conducts research and surveys; hosts symposia, workshops, educational programs and conferences; and offers certification and designation programs for community association professionals.