CAI Honors Rep. David Rouzer
Community Associations Institute honored Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) with the organization’s 2023 Hero of Associations (HOA) Award for his leadership and support for the millions of residents living in community associations. CAI recognized Rouzer during the 2023 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 2 for his work to make federal funds available to homeowners association residents after a presidentially declared natural disaster.
After recent natural disasters in North Carolina, Rouzer has witnessed firsthand the inequity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency allocation of federal funds. As a result, he reintroduced the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act (H.R. 3777) to help homeowners associations qualify for funding for disaster recovery.
“I’m proud to receive the Hero of Associations (HOA) Award from CAI for my work in Congress to ensure all citizens and communities impacted by natural disasters can receive the same access to federal disaster recovery resources,” says Rouzer. “Natural disasters do not discriminate among neighborhoods or housing, and I will continue working to ensure all homeowners are treated fairly when trying to rebuild.”
If H.R. 3777 becomes law, this legislation will help community associations in all states impacted by any presidentially declared natural disaster, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, mudslides, and other calamities.
“A small change in federal policy can impact so many homeowners on the local level. It’s clear Rep. Rouzer understands that. We’re thrilled to have him champion the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act. He deserves this recognition from CAI,” says Bill Bittenbender, a CAI member and homeowner in St. James Property Owners Association in Southport, N.C.
During CAI’s summit on Capitol Hill last week, more than 120 community association homeowners and industry professionals, a record number, connected with congressional offices to advance legislative priorities.
CAI representatives from 25 states advocated for financing condominium building repairs, disaster assistance fairness, Corporate Transparency Act exemption and delay opportunities, and credentialing education financing opportunities on behalf of community association stakeholders. In addition, CAI provided legislators and staff with new education and resources detailing the community association housing model and its impact on the U.S. housing market. According to the latest data from the Foundation for Community Association Research, community associations are estimated to become the majority form of housing in the U.S. by 2040.
“CAI strongly believes that lawmakers must consider the impacts on communities on a wide range of policy issues—from mortgage lending to natural disaster relief,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer. “One in four Americans live in community associations today, and thousands of new communities are built each year. Our advocates have an influential voice, and we’re proud of the work they do.”
As the leading international authority in community association living, CAI advocates for more than 74 million Americans living and working in community associations, commonly referred to as homeowners associations, condominium communities, and housing cooperatives.
“CAI members are passionate about the work they do to support community associations. They want to share the facts with their elected representatives about community living—where the vast majority of homeowners are satisfied,” says Dawn M. Bauman, CAE, CAI’s chief strategy officer. “CAI was thrilled to connect a record number of our advocates with their legislators in person for the first time in several years.”
For more information about CAI’s advocacy priorities, visit www.caionline.org/Advocacy.
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Laura Otto is the Senior Editor of Digital Content at CAI. A seasoned journalist, Laura previously worked for a creative, advocacy agency in Washington, D.C., where she wrote and edited content for a variety of public health clients. Prior to that, Laura served as a senior writer and editor for the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Laura is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia.