Role of Residents Association in community

1. Residents
Associations
Fr. Jolly John OV MSC, BA, BEd
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences
Kerala,India

2. Resident Associations
Resident associations are
groups that are formed by
residents of an area for
purposes of communing
together and protecting
interests of the area within
which they reside.

3. Resident Welfare Associations
Resident Welfare Association
is an association that represents
the interests of the residents of
a specific urban or suburban
locality

4. Powers of a Resident Welfare Association
1.They are voluntary associations made by
residents and they don’t have any statutory
powers.
For example, a Resident Welfare Association cannot really
impact your right to hold or exercise rights over the property
you own and will have its powers restricted to the contribution
of sums for maintenance, the organization of workshops and
cultural functions etc.
.

5. Powers of a Resident Welfare Association
2.Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs)
also pass their own rules and regulations to
define their powers, functions, governance
structure, names of dignitaries etc.

6. Powers & Functions of a Resident Welfare Association
3. Registered RWA is a legal person and can
sue and be sued as well. Taking care of
society’s by-laws, addressing any disputes
over management of the colony or
maintenance of common areas, etc. is the
work of an RWA.

7. Role of Resident Association
1.Increase the sense of belonging to a community;
2.Inform residents of their rights under the law and in
particular under the Landlord and Tenant related
legislation;
3.Exert pressure on the landlord or his agent to maintain
an appropriate standards of decoration and
maintenance to the interior and exterior of buildings,
and at reasonable costs

8. 4.Establish a relationship with landlord and/or his agent
to facilitate good management; represent the needs
and views of residents on management issues and
report back to the residents the concerns of the
landlord/agent
5.Assist in resolving disputes between individual
residents
6.Organise opposition to undesirable planning
applications

9. Advantages in having a registered residents’
association:
1.A properly registered apartment society can initiate and
defend legal proceedings – that is, it can sue or be
sued in its name.
2.It can set the bylaws deciding the procedures for
recovering dues from defaulting members (within the
scope of the Indian laws only)
3.A society can open a bank account in its name and
conduct banking operations.
4.It can easily file tax returns and obtain assessments.

10. 5.The accounts of a registered association have to be
audited and filed mandatorily. This way transparency
can be maintained in all dealings of the association,
and records will be on hand if anything needs to be
checked in the future.
6.Proceedings cannot be initiated against an individual
office bearer in a personal capacity, unless there is
evidence of fraud or similar circumstance that requires
their inclusion

11. Urban Development and RWA
1. Residents associations can act as a pressure group to
provide basic or advanced facilities to the area
2. Residents associations Help in uniting the residents for a
particular causes which promotes infrastructural
development, transport, communication, safety and
security, etc
3. Residents associations are helpful in the health and
sanitation especially to the solid waste management.

12. 4. It helps in decentralised modes of waste
management thorugh the activities of Bio gas
plants, Composting plants etc
5.Residents associations provide closed environments
around the residences to enhance the safety and
security.
6.Residence associations helps in city planning and
maintenance. Residence associations promotes
open lands and parks which is essential part of
healthy town planning. They have to involve in
activities related the land use near to their residence

13. Bibliography
Echessa, G. M. (2010). Role of Residents Associations in Urban Service Delivar
y. Nairoby: University of Kenyata.
Jones, L. (n.d.). The benefits of residents’ associations. Retrieved September 17
, 2018, from https://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/dn2/The-benefits-of-residents-
associations/957860-3091678-s17vwf/index.html
Martin, K. (n.d.). Why a Residents Association can be a real benefit. Retrieved S
eptember 17, 2018, from http://www.flat-living.co.uk/advice/901-why-a-reside
nts-association-can-be-a-real-benefit
Mputhiya, C. (2015, February 12). Role of the Resident Associations in land Use
Planning and Development. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://cmpu
thiadvocates.com/role-of-the-resident-associations-in-land-use-planning-and-
development/