Debates on the HOA and its role in neighborhood governance

As a non-government organization executing important duties of neighborhood governance, the HOA is considered a bottom-up urban governance mode and is therefore conducive in fostering civil engagement by mediating between individual homeowners/citizens, on the one hand, and large-scale bureaucracies (e.g. municipalities and other state agents) as well as developers and other business interests, on the other (Cooper and Musso 1999). Yet, its role in neighborhood governance remains controversial. While a HOA is considered to be a more democratic and effective form of small-scale governance efficiently providing collective goods/services and fostering public participation and community attachment (Cooper and Musso 1999; Dilger 1992; DiPasquale and Glaeser 1999; Rosenblum 1998), it is also widely criticized for its overreliance on market forces that often result in residential segregation and social inequality (McKenzie 1994, 2005; Yip and Forrest 2002).