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Community Associations Institute (CAI) has released the findings of a year-long, comprehensive review defining the future of community associations, professional community management, public policy trends and external influences that could impact the nation's almost 340,000 common-interest communities.

CAI brought together more than 50 member experts and external stakeholders on four distinguished panels that met throughout 2015 to explore the nature of community association living, governance and management in the years ahead.

The four white papers can be accessed at www.caionline.org/communitynext.

The findings will be formally unveiled Friday, May 6, during CAI's Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando. 

"It's human nature to focus on current and near-term needs, but our collective success depends in large measure on how well we plan for the future," said 2015 CAI President Julie M. Howard, Esq., a partner in the Atlanta-based law firm of Weissman, Nowack, Curry & Wilco. "That's doubly important in a growing and evolving enterprise like community association housing. It's essential we try to understand the challenges and opportunities that await all of us. The fewer surprises the better."

Said CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas Skiba, CAE, "The more we can anticipate and imagine the future, the more we can ensure a successful and stable future for community associations and the almost 70 million who call them home. That is the fundamental goal of this initiative."

The initiative produced four white papers that examine how communities will evolve; how association governance and management are likely to change over time; how these changes will influence the community management profession; how associations will be affected by legislation, regulation and court decisions; and how external trends and opinion leaders will influence associations moving forward.

The Community Next panel reports expand on many themes, including the following:

• Some of the major challenges ahead include the public perception of associations, financial issues, volunteer leadership, aging in place, technology and challenges facing older communities.
• Recent changes to some state laws indicate growing awareness among policy makers of the unique needs of community associations.
• The need for qualified and well-trained community managers will continue to increase as more and more developments are created featuring the community association model.
• External influences, combined with changing demographics and societal attitudes, will have a direct influence on how associations are governed and managed.
  
  For more than 40 years, CAI has educated, advocated, and informed people living and working in common-interest communities. Thanks to those ongoing efforts, CAI has a strong and valuable understanding of community associations today. And now, thanks to the Community Next initiative, CAI can share further insight into the challenges and opportunities that await common-interest communities in the years to come, and what can be done now to minimize uncertainty and manage the future.
  
  With more than 34,000 members dedicated to building better communities, CAI works in partnership with 60 chapters to provide information, education and resources to community associations and the professionals who support them. CAI's mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in communities that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.