Community associations comprise people with different ideals, preferences, and values. After last year’s mass protests and intense political divide, improving civility and facilitating conversations between board members, community managers, and residents matters now more than ever before.

Association leaders are regularly faced with challenging and complex issues that can spark strong emotions. CAI introduced the Community Association Civility Pledge in 2020 to support the people who live and work in the more than 352,000 homeowners associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives in the U.S.—and many more worldwide—when navigating differing opinions and viewpoints in a respectful manner.

To date, dozens of community associations in the U.S. have adopted the Civility Pledge and embraced principles that establish a framework for effective community conversations. CAI continues to encourage communities to adopt the pledge and has added new, customizable graphics, banners, and window clings that allow communities to showcase their commitment to improving civility.

“We believe these communities as a whole—with their unique mix of cultural identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and more—represent the increasing diversity of today’s world,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer. “We believe community associations should strive to find common ground and build a lasting framework of civility, especially when discussing important issues.”

Understanding the influence of today’s community association leaders, community managers, and business partners, CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL) developed the Civility Pledge to encourage interactions to be respectful and meaningful despite differences of opinion on a particular issue, and to create an environment where residents have the opportunity to express their views openly.

By encouraging associations to adopt the Civility Pledge, CAI strives to promote harmony, community, responsible citizenship, and effective leadership and, in the process, make life better for the millions of people living in community associations around the world.

>> Adopt CAI’s Community Association Civility Pledge today.

  • Ella Cox

    Ella is a Communications Associate at CAI. Prior to joining the team, she worked in communications and marketing for an educational nonprofit in D.C. She has held a variety of different roles in education, advocacy, and event planning. Academically, she holds a B.A. in Corporate Communications from Belmont University and recently received her Masters in Communications & PR from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

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