5 minute read
Home Is Where Diversity Can Thrive
By Todd Greisen, CCAM
Among the early acts of Congress, in 1782, E pluribus unum was adopted as our national motto. Although in 1956, In God We Trust replaced it. “Out of many, one,” however, still remains on our U.S. national seal and on several of our coins to this day.
Great waves of immigrants from many cultures, race, and of all ages have made America their home. They include the wealthy, the impoverished, and yes, even those who were indentured or slaves. Regardless of who, what, or where they come from, they all share a common ground – living within the shores and boundaries of this nation. This is one of many things that has made this country a highly desired place to live.
In the context of our modern national motto, the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor,” according to ancient scripture. It’s a good rule to live by regardless of your belief system. And even if you can’t love your neighbor, our laws tell us to respect them without regard to skin color, age, social status, or other differences.
Who is your neighbor? Everyone you come in contact with - period. A restaurant patron should treat the wait staff as an equal. In a company setting, a CEO should treat the receptionist no differently than fellow board members. Likewise, community boards and management leaders should treat everyone equally and with respect, including their neighbors in the community.
Managed communities often become modern microcosms of our national heritage, where a variety of ethnicities, cultures, and demographics are melded together. The very nature of an HOA or CID brings people physically closer together as a community, where commonality can or cannot be fostered.
Author and speaker, Dania Santana, describes diversity well - as it relates to associations. “A successful community in which individuals of different race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, language, geographical origin, gender, and/or sexual orientation bring their different knowledge, background, experience, and interest for the benefit of their diverse community.”
She continues – “As they all contribute to the success of the community, individuals in a healthy diverse society practice daily understanding and respect of the different ideas, viewpoints and unique perspectives of those who are somewhat different from them, as they recognize that those individuals share and are actively working towards achieving many common goals for the benefit of the community as a whole.”
Common areas can become common threads in building a sense of community, neighborly, or even lifelong friendships. Yet, the American promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can be interrupted by our neighbor on the other side of the fence, across the street, or in the condo above.
Fences can provide a sense of ownership and privacy, while being shared with a close neighbor. An example comes to mind. Those of you who watched TV during the 90’s will recall one of the decade’s most popular comedy shows – Home Improvement. One frequent character was a mysterious neighbor named Wilson, whose full face was never seen over the backyard fence. Throughout the series, Wilson’s neighborly over-the-fence advice, given to the main character, Tim, often provided the moral lesson of the episode’s story.
But we know the media doesn’t always reflect real life. Maybe there’s a young neighbor across the street who drives a loud, annoying car that’s meant to impress his girlfriend. In more densely populated communities, such as condominiums where walls or floors are shared, diversity clashes are even more likely to occur. A condo dweller upstairs could play beating music that may not fit the cultural or generational palette of those living below. As condo association managers can attest, this proximity doesn’t always foster neighborly behavior, and sometimes, it’s complicated by diverse backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles.
In our pursuit of our best life, some find their home in a place that intentionally minimizes these differences, such as a 55+ community. Due to evolving populations who move in, some communities lose their diversity over time, because they share common bonds or languages with neighbors. Eventually, others become unwillingly excluded by their appearance or other behaviors.
So, what role should a community take in creating an environment of diversity?
Getting wrapped up in the day-to-day management of an association, board, and management can easily cause us to lose sight of the value of diversity amongst the people who live in our communities. Can everyone always get along? Of course not! But creating an environment where diversity is not the main cause of inherent issues associated with living in proximity is possible.
For starters, I would like to add physical diversity to Santana’s definition of social diversity. Are disabilities accounted for in your community? Think A.D.A. compliance. What else can an association do on a practical level to enable diversity, thereby mitigating conflict?
A 2020 survey of hundreds of community managers and residents gives us an indication of other areas to consider. The results show accusations of discrimination are prompted most often by:
1. Collection Notices
2. Violation Letters
3. Social Media
The first two are under direct control of the association.
Need I say this? Collection notices must be handled without favoritism or bias of any kind. CC&R enforcement should cross all diversity lines – all rules apply to all residents (and guests), all the time. Document your exceptions. Clear and fact-based notices should have little to no opinions within them. Opinions open the door to assumed biases.
The third, social media, could also be under the control of an HOA when its board members or managers are the ones typing on the keyboard. You, managers and leaders, set the tone. Be a model of diversity through your words and actions by looking past the differences and focus on what we all have in common.
Todd Greisen, CCAM
Todd Greisen, CCAM, is the General Manager of Contra Loma Estates in Antioch, California.
