Community Associations Institute (CAI) has established a chapter in New York City, the most populated city in the United States with more than 8 million people living on little more than 300 square miles. The Big Apple chapter will represent condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners associations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island.

Dozens of community association leaders in New York and neighboring states banded together to lay the groundwork the Big Apple chapter, which will be “in organization” until it meets CAI certification requirements, a process that generally takes two to three years. CAI has certified more than 60 chapters.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, CAI is dedicated to helping members build better communities. The nonprofit group provides education, tools and resources to the homeowner volunteers who govern associations and the professionals who support them.

"There are literally thousands of condominiums and cooperatives in the five boroughs,” says Mitch Frumkin, chapter chair and one of the industry leaders responsible for its creation. "With hundreds of thousands residents living in condominiums and cooperatives, there is a real need for the education, information and services a CAI chapter can provide. CAI offers so many benefits, not just to the homeowner leaders and professionals who lead and support associations, but ultimately, to the people who make their homes in these communities." Frumkin is a licensed engineer and a CAI-designated Reserve Specialist.

Frumkin says the chapter’s long-term goals include:

• Becoming a credible and reliable source of best practices for those who govern and manage communities.
• Providing superior educational programming for industry professionals.
• Sponsoring networking events for chapter members throughout the city.

"We’re gratified that these CAI leaders took the initiative to establish the Big Apple chapter," says Crystal Wallace, CAE, IOM, CAI’s vice president of membership and chapter relations. "This chapter will give thousands of New Yorkers the opportunity to benefit from CAI education, resources, networking and collective advocacy. We look forward to helping industry leaders to build a strong and vibrant chapter."

CAI represents all forms of common-interest communities, including homeowners associations, condominium communities, cooperatives and other planned communities. Close to 60 million Americans—about one in five of all U.S. residents—make their homes in an estimated 230,000 common-interest communities.

New York’s most populated borrow is Brooklyn, with 2.5 million residents, followed by Queens (2.3 million), Manhattan (1.6 million), the Bronx (1.4 million) and Staten Island (470,000).

CAI’s 32,500 domestic and international members include community association volunteer leaders (homeowners), professional community managers and management firms and other product and service providers. CAI provides a number of member benefits, including best practices, local and national educational resources, legislative and regulatory advocacy and designations for professionals who serve associations. Members who join CAI are automatically members of the international organization and the chapter of their choice.

For information about the Big Apple chapter, visit www.bigapplecai.com, write info@bigapplecai.org  or call (917) 722-0922. 

To learn more about CAI, visit www.caionline.org, write cai-info@caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.

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