In a nutshell
About 51% of occupied homes in the Houston region, compared to 30% statewide, were part of a property owners association, according to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau American Housing Survey data. In the seven ZIP codes making up Community Impact's coverage area for Cypress and Cy-Fair, 247 HOAs are registered, according to www.hoa.texas.gov.
Texas HOAs are usually operated as nonprofit corporations and are governed by a volunteer board of directors, according to the Texas State Law Library’s website.
HOAs are sometimes assisted by an HOA management company, and an HOA’s primary job is to preserve property values, said Savannah Crihfield, the owner of Houston HOA management firm CH&P Management, via a June 19 email.
Crihfield said the duties of HOAs, also called property owners associations, can include:
- Communicating and enforcing community rules
- Managing shared amenities like pools and parks
- Maintaining infrastructure such as lights and gates
While they are not governed by a state agency, HOAs must operate within laws guiding other nonprofits, according to the Texas State Law Library. Under the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, HOA boards:
- Must keep meetings open to members, except for certain topics such as personnel discussions
- Give notice before enforcing rules
In the U.S., the number of community associations is expected to rise by 3,000-4,000 in 2025, according to projections from nonprofit researcher the Foundation for Community Association Research. In 2024:
- 22,900 community associations operated in Texas, which has the third-highest number of associations in the U.S.
- 2.3 million, or 32%, of Texas homes were part of community associations
- $9.5 billion in assessments, or dues, were collected by Texas community associations
