On April 9, Community Associations Institute (CAI) Senior VP of Government & Public Affairs Dawn Bauman sent an email to CAI members nationwide, calling for a concerted effort to get community associations included in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) section of the CARES Act - the federal government’s massive relief effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on small businesses. “The House and Senate are currently negotiating additional funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bauman wrote, and “while community associations are included in the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans, they are not included in the PPP, which potentially offers greater access to financial support than other loan programs.”   

Along with many in the multifamily residential industry, Bauman expressed concern over the looming threat of community association defaults, which she said  “may rise concurrent with mortgage default payments, imposing unsustainable cash flow constraints on associations that will limit retention of employees and contractors, and substantially impair delivery of essential services to owners. Funding from the PPP could help community associations facing cash flow constraints.” 

Bauman encouraged CAI members and nonmembers alike to contact their representatives in the House and Senate to impress upon them the need for HOA and community association inclusion in the next round of relief legislation, and invited them to share first-hand accounts of their own association’s struggles during the pandemic with CAI’s political action committee, adding “We will use these stories in our advocacy efforts to make the case for community associations.” 

Here are two steps you can take to get involved and make your community’s voice heard: 

1. Email your Members of the U.S. House of Representatives & Senators asking for community associations to be included in the Paycheck Protection Program.  

For more information about state and federal government actions impacting community associations and COVID-19, stay tuned to The Cooperator, or visit www.caionline.org/govcovid19.