Political influence of real estate developers: the HOA Beast

Political influence of real estate developers: the heart of the HOA beast

Real estate developers figured out a long time ago how to exert political influence over government officials and housing policy makers, from the local to the federal levels.

For the past three years, IAC has provided more than 1,000 posts citing thousands of references to prove a point:

The U.S. housing market is not determined by public need or consumer demand, but instead is heavily influenced by interested stakeholders, among them real estate developers and the finance, sales, legal, and management indsutries that exists to support billions of dollars in residential community development.

Government at all levels serves as the gatekeeper to new residential development, as well as redevelopment of blighted neighborhoods.

When governments work in the public interest, they make responsible decisions about the kinds of development to support and how to finance growth and economic development.

When governments don’t represent the interests of the general public, they enact policies that fail to serve the greater good.

For decades, housing consumers and concerned American voters have been largely unaware of the pervasive, sometimes toxic, influence of real estate developers and home builders.

But that’s changing as investigative journalists and consumer protection advocates expose the truth, in a new age of internet-based television and social media.

Free speech is still alive in the U.S., and a diverse array of advocacy efforts contribute to wider public awareness of the financial, social, and political dysfunction of association-governed, common interest communities.

Millions of Americans are learning first hand of the injustices inherent in so-called “contractual communities” that have been designed by and for the benefit of developers. Unfortunately, misguided or self-interested politicians and ineffective regulatory agencies enable the abuse and social upheaval to continue.

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