Falls Church, VA, May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than half of condominium communities and homeowners associations (54%) say they will open their community pool as scheduled for the 2021 summer season, compared to only 7% of communities that opened pools on time last year. Community Associations Institute’s (CAI) newly published report, Pool Position: Swim Season Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, closely examines how communities across the U.S. plan to safely open and operate pools this summer.
According to the survey of 1,000 CAI members, most associations implemented COVID-19-specific pool restrictions last year that will remain for the upcoming swim season. For example, about 77% of respondents reported establishing social distancing measures around the pool area last season, a number that remains about the same for 2021. Similarly, 60% of those surveyed said they issued “no guests” policies in 2020, with 47% noting the policies will remain in place this year. In addition, 40% of respondents will require residents to sign a liability waiver.
Only 2% of those surveyed said they plan to close their pool this season compared to nearly 44% last year. And, associations delaying their pool openings dropped from 30% in 2020 to about 9% in 2021. However, more than a quarter of all respondents are still undecided about proceeding with opening their pool.
“The decision to open or close the community pool has been one of the biggest challenges facing homeowners associations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the vaccine rollout continues, pandemic fatigue is creating new pressures for homeowners associations to relax restrictions on community pools,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer. “Our mission has been to assess the situation nationally and provide programs, resources, and guidance to help our volunteer board members, community managers, and professional business partners navigate this sensitive topic. We believe that our member communities have been making great strides to open amenities and other common areas while complying with federal, state, and local public health guidelines.”
Community association leaders can review the 2021 pools survey and learn how other communities across the country are planning to operate their pool this season, examine the latest safety guidelines, and gain access to sample documents to communicate protocols to residents. Pool Position: Swim Season Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic is free for CAI members and $19.99 for nonmembers.
In addition to the new report, CAI has other resources and publications for opening and operating common areas and amenities.
- Status Check: A Reopening Guide for Community Associations, a guide for community association operations and governance.
- Healthy Communities: COVID-19 & Community Associations Summary of Relevant Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, a summary of practical advice and best practices relevant to COVID-19 and community associations.
- Government actions impacting community associations and limited liability protections. CAI supports legislation that limits an association's liability when acting in good faith and complying with local, state, and CDC guidelines to reopen common areas and amenities. CAI has developed two versions of limited liability model language relating to COVID-19
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About Community Associations Institute
Since 1973, Community Associations Institute (CAI) has been the leading provider of resources and information for homeowners, volunteer board leaders, professional managers, and business professionals in the more than 350,000 homeowners associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives in the United States and millions of communities worldwide. With more than 42,000 members, CAI works in partnership with 36 legislative action committees and 63 affiliated chapters within the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates as well as with housing leaders in several other countries, including Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. A global nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization, CAI is the foremost authority in community association management, governance, education, and advocacy. Our mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership, and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in community associations that are preferred places to call home. Visit us at www.caionline.org, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook @CAISocial.
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