America's
leading advocate for responsible communities
CAI was founded in 1973 as a
multi-disciplinary non-profit alliance serving all stakeholders in community
associations. We provide education and resources to America's 231,000
residential condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations, and to the professionals
and suppliers who serve them.
CAI members include all types of
association-governed communities, such as condominium and homeowner
associations, cooperatives, and planned communities of all sizes; individual
homeowners; community managers and management firms; builders and developers;
accountants, attorneys, lenders, insurance providers, reserve specialists, and
other providers of professional services; public officials; and product and
service suppliers—all working together to create more livable communities.
CAI has more than 15,000 members in
55 chapters throughout the United States and in several foreign countries, but
our reach is much greater. Every homeowner in our member associations, and
every employee in our member firms, enjoys many of the benefits of CAI
membership as well.
Market and Facts
Community Associations Institute
(CAI) estimates that in 1970 there were 10,000 community associations
nationwide. Today, there are 260,000 community associations housing 50 million
Americans. A community association functions as a business, a governance
structure, and a community. Traditionally, these functions were applied as
follows: business meant austerity; governance meant compliance; and community
meant conformity. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Housing
Survey, and IRS Statistics of Income Reports, associations today are seeking
prudence in business, justice in governance, and harmony in community to
provide an enjoyable, vibrant lifestyle for homeowners and residents.
Nearly one out of every six
Americans (50 million) lives in a community association.
There are an estimated 260,000
community associations in the United States providing 19.9 million housing
units.
Between 9,000 and 11,000 new
community associations are formed every year
In the largest metropolitan areas,
more than 50 percent of new home sales are in community associations.
Community associations can range in
size from as small as a two-unit associations to large-scale, master planned
communities with more than 30,000 units.
1.25 million Americans serve on a
community association Board.
Community associations have become
increasingly popular because they help protect home values, provide affordable
ownership opportunities, help meet the increased privatization of services as
local governments cut back, and are efficient land planning, land use, and land
conservation techniques.
Economic Impact
The real estate value of all
community associations and their units exceeds $2.25 trillion, approximately
17-19% of the value of all U.S. residential real estate.
The estimated annual operating revenues for all
community associations in the U.S. is more than $35 billion. Most of this is
spent in the associations’ local economies for products and services.
