Community association advocates head to Capitol Hill on housing, financing and safety

Community Associations Institute will bring advocates to Washington on Sept. 24 to press Congress on housing affordability, condo lending, insurance costs, disaster recovery and related federal rules. The group says the issues affect more than 78 million Americans living in community associations.

Why it matters: - Community associations cover more than one-third of U.S. housing stock and affect nearly 1 in 4 Americans. - CAI says federal decisions shape how these communities are financed, insured, maintained, governed and rebuilt after disasters. - The advocacy push centers on policies that could affect homeownership access, community safety and long-term affordability.

What happened: - Community Associations Institute will hold its 2026 Congressional Advocacy Summit on Capitol Hill on Sept. 24, 2026. - Housing advocates, board members, homeowners, community managers and business partners will meet with members of Congress and congressional staff. - CAI will press lawmakers on housing affordability, condominium financing, safety, insurance and disaster recovery.

The details: - The Foundation for Community Association Research says more than 78.1 million Americans live in 373,000 community associations that include 29.6 million homes. - Community associations include homeowners associations, condominium communities and housing cooperatives. - CAI CEO Dawn M. Bauman said the group wants practical condominium lending requirements from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that protect safety and financial stability without creating unnecessary barriers to homeownership. - CAI also says condominium housing must remain safe, financially sustainable, affordable and accessible to current and future homeowners. - On disaster recovery, CAI wants House members to support and cosponsor H.R. 4669, the FEMA Act of 2025, and H.R. 9159, the Protect Our Homes Act. - CAI is also seeking a Senate sponsor for companion disaster-recovery legislation. - The disaster bills would help community associations recover, rebuild more resiliently, finance recovery and protect residents and shared infrastructure. - On condominium lending, CAI is asking Congress to back a one-year delay of upcoming lending changes from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHFA. - CAI says the delay would give volunteer boards more time to understand the changes. - CAI says the proposed lending changes could raise costs for borrowers and existing owners, reduce lender participation and restrict financing for qualified buyers and stable communities. - On the Corporate Transparency Act, CAI supports full repeal and is urging Congress to advance H.R. 425 and S. 100, the Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act. - CAI says the repeal would remove beneficial ownership reporting requirements affecting community association boards. - On housing affordability, CAI wants Congress to pursue a balanced approach that expands attainable homeownership while protecting the financial viability of existing community associations. - CAI also wants the community association housing model included in federal housing affordability discussions. - On condominium safety and financing, CAI wants House members to support H.R. 9569, the Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act, and is seeking a Senate sponsor. - The bill would expand access to federally backed financing for condominium associations and unit owners to pay for structural repairs and safety upgrades. - On amateur radio rules, CAI is urging lawmakers to oppose H.R. 1094 and S. 459, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. - CAI says those bills would limit community associations' ability to require prior approval of amateur radio infrastructure. - On insurance, CAI wants policies that improve access to affordable coverage for community associations and wants those communities included in federal insurance affordability talks. - More information on CAI’s 2026 federal legislative priorities is available here.

Between the lines: - The summit is part policy fly-in and part lobbying campaign, aimed at shaping federal rules before they become harder for volunteer boards and lenders to absorb. - CAI is framing its agenda around a tradeoff: stronger safety and disclosure rules, but without adding costs or compliance burdens that could slow sales, financing or recovery. - The broad list of priorities shows community associations are pushing Congress on issues that stretch well beyond housing, including insurance, telecommunications infrastructure and disaster preparedness.

What's next: - CAI leaders and advocates will meet lawmakers and staff on Sept. 24. - The group is seeking cosponsors, Senate companions and committee attention for several bills tied to disaster recovery, condo financing, transparency and safety. - The debate over condominium lending standards and affordability is likely to continue as federal agencies and Congress weigh changes affecting millions of homeowners.

The bottom line: - CAI is using its Capitol Hill summit to argue that community association policy is housing policy, and that federal rules need to balance affordability, safety and access to financing.