Key facts
- Homeowners associations are private mini-governments run by non-expert volunteers.
- There were 373,000 community associations in the US in 2025, covering 29.6 million housing units.
- HOAs collected $124.2 billion in assessments last year.
- Residents in Lana Martin's complex faced a $13,000 assessment for a roof replacement.
- Olivia Horbowy was initially fined $15,200 for condo renovations.
Homeowners associations (HOAs) are increasingly becoming sources of stress for both residents and the volunteer leaders who manage them. Lana Martin, an HOA president in Los Angeles, described the challenges of managing a complex with issues like a leaky roof, facing resident anger over a $160,000 replacement project that resulted in a $13,000 assessment per unit. She noted that residents often second-guess decisions rather than getting involved. The number of community associations in the US has grown significantly, collecting substantial amounts in assessments, which contributes to the high-pressure environment. A.J. Steigman, an HOA board member, called HOAs a "pressure cooker environment for human interactions."