Positive Reinforcement: A Vital

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

A Vital Tool in Maintaining Community Living Standards

by James McCaughan

One of the foremost goals for a community owner is to maintain a high standard of living for residents. While doing so can sometimes be expensive, efforts to live up to reasonable standards pay dividends both financially and emotionally. A clean, well-functioning community can demand higher rents and minimize vacancies and delinquencies. An appealing community that minimizes negative externalities to its neighbors while offering affordable housing to area residents is more likely to see cooperation from local stakeholders. And of course, community owners and managers can rest easy knowing that their residents have a peaceful community to live and raise a family.

There are many measures a community owner has direct control over — repaving roads, installing a new playground, updating or building a community rec room, to name a few. These undoubtedly contribute substantially to resident satisfaction.

However, many aspects of a well-run community, particularly on an aesthetic level, are not within management’s direct control. Damaged skirting, overgrown lawns, and moldy siding even on one lot can degrade the entire community’s appearance. From that one resident who refuses to maintain his home and yard, the effect tends to simply spiral in a manner reminiscent of the tragedy of the commons. One resident sees his neighbor let his grass go uncut for weeks or months, and soon he decides it is not worth the effort to keep his home and lot in shape either, perhaps allowing mold to spread across siding or junk to accumulate in the yard. Before you know it, the entire community becomes an eyesore. »

Prevention Above Warnings, Penalties

The standard response is to nip the problem in the bud through prompt rule enforcement with the first violation, i.e. warnings and fines for failure to adhere to regulations, with the advisement of further action for continued failures as a backstop.

To some extent, however, this presents a lose-lose situation.

A resident may believe that he or she is being unfairly targeted even if management does everything by the book. For its part, the community must divert resources to enforcement and may even lose a resident if there is a refusal to cooperate. In the end, the incentives and disincentives under a purely enforcement-oriented program, even if they create perfect compliance, may only result in residents doing the bare minimum to avoid a penalty.

To prevent such a situation, many operators — from the largest aggregators in the country to multi-generational family owners — have moved in the direction of positive reinforcement. Family owners in particular seem to rely on such a strategy. In visits to over 500 communities in the Midwest, I have seen plenty of ingenious programs that instill pride and fraternity among residents. Garden competitions that recognize one resident each month for the beautification of their lot leads everyone to go beyond the minimum in maintaining lawns, hedges, and flowers. Regular potluck dinners and holiday parties bring residents together, instilling a sense of community and responsibility toward neighbors.

Efficient Programs for Resident Value

These initiatives have the added benefit of being a minimal additional cost or work for management. A gardening competition may be as simple as allowing an employee a few minutes once a month to walk the community to judge the lawns and place a “Garden of the Month” sign in the winner’s yard. Potluck dinners, by definition, do not require any extended outlay from the community, with residents sharing the costs among themselves for the party.

These programs seem to enjoy great success and participation in communities located in the Midwest. The culture in this part of the country drives people from all walks of life to voluntarily contribute to and cooperate with community events. Moreover, the changing of the seasons allows for more variety in gardens, and the relatively short window during which most plants can thrive creates a sense of urgency among even more passive residents.

Now, I am not naïve. Regardless of how much effort management puts into positive resident outreach, there will always be some who do not care whether their yard wins any competitions, and who have no interest in participating in community events. Just like an enforcement-only approach will experience deficiencies, so too will a purely positive reinforcement strategy. After all, there is a reason why “carrot-andstick” is such a common refrain. Still, the carrot portion of that formula is at least as vital to the end goal of maximizing community quality — particularly the aesthetic aspect. Every community should keep this tool on its belt to achieve that end. MHV

James McCaughan is Yale’s regional director for the Midwest where he advises owners and investors of manufactured housing communities and RV resorts on new opportunities and challenges, including the sale and purchase of properties.