Is HOA trade group’s survey a valid measure of satisfaction?

But how does industry-sponsored research data compare with scientific studies of public satisfaction with local government?

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities

Every two years, trade group Community Associations Institute (CAI) rolls out the results of its survey of U.S. residents of association-governed communities, including homeowners,’ condominium, and cooperative associations.

CAI insists their survey data is “objective” and “consistent.” The trade group boasts that residents are “overwhelmingly satisfied in their communities.”

But critics recognize that CAI’s self-funded research is deliberately designed to generate predictable data that is then filtered and presented in the best possible light to housing policy makers and, to a lesser extent, housing consumers.

This year’s 2018 survey brochure, entitled “Home Sweet HOA: Community Associations Remain Popular with American Homeowners” provides no summary of survey methodology. As the reader can see from the screen shot below, this year, we don’t even know how many residents…