Cohousing-L Mailing List: Community Associations Institute [was Launching June 15: CohousingMap.net

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jun 17, 2016, at 7:54 AM, R Philip Dowds <rpdowds [at] comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> But … is there a national condominium movement?  That is, an organized body 
> of advocates and practitioners who believe that condominiums are the right 
> way to live, and that (most) everyone should be living in condominiums?  Is 
> there a national condominium association promoting condo life, and trying to 
> draw people in, proselytizing the concept like a church or conservation 
> group?  If there is, it is unknown to me.

I don’t know that they think of themselves as a movement, but the Community 
Associations Institute is the go-to place for housing governed by an 
association of owners. They have many local chapters. It’s an incredible 
resource that cohousers long resisted using because they “weren’t condominiums. 
They were communities.”

https://www.caionline.org

They have several publications. In DC they also have a local publication since 
the whole DC area is papered with condos. If you have a local chapter, there 
are also local meetings. I have been told these are mostly of building managers 
(CAI has a certificate program) but those are the people you want to network 
with to help with facilities questions and to find vendors.

I haven’t followed them recently but they use to be very concerned with 
liability issues and controlling problematic residents. Once they had an 
article on how to “allow" residents to participate in gardening without really 
having any freedom "to do damage” or cause liability issues with injuries. I 
wrote  counter article about how gardening is done here completely by 
residents. Of course it wasn’t published.

Even with the conservative command-and-control attitude the information is 
excellent and covers legal issues very well. Insurance, liability, fiduciary 
abuse, legislation, etc. Many publications. And speaking frankly, after having 
lived in a self-managed community for 16 years, I understand and have much more 
sympathy with clear understandings written down in permanent ink.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines, Historic Takoma Park
In Washington DC, Where all roads lead to Casablanca