How to Start or Strengthen Your Residents’ Association

There is power in coming together with others in your area to tackle service delivery issues and other local challenges. Residents' associations are membership-based groups that represent the interests of people living in a neighbourhood, suburb, township or town. They play an essential role in developing relationships with the municipality, making sure your community’s voice is heard, and organising collective efforts to fix or improve local infrastructure and safety.

Many areas in South Africa already have active residents’ or ratepayers' associations. Talk to your neighbours and search online to see if there’s one in your area. You can support its work by becoming a member or volunteering to take an active leadership role. If there isn’t one yet, gather a group of committed neighbours and start your own.

Fixlocal spoke to Mike Rosholt, chairperson of the Parkhurst Residents and Business Owners Association (PRABOA), to learn what’s helped them succeed.

1. Start with a committed core team

Before trying to recruit the whole neighbourhood, start with a small group of active, willing residents. “You have to start with those who are interested before making a broader appeal,” says Rosholt. “You need at least ten people in a suburb who can take on the various tasks because they are volunteers, and not everyone has the time.” Set clear roles and timelines to help the group stay organised and grow steadily.

2. Be clear on how your residents’ association will work

Decide on the structure and legal status of your association. Some are registered nonprofits, while others are more informal. Registering as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) brings some financial benefits, like tax-deductible donations, but comes with added admin. As you grow, many residents' associations are organised into key portfolios and nominate committee members to lead each one. Common portfolios include safety and security, town planning and heritage, parks, community outreach and business relations. 

3. Create a sustainable membership model

Many residents' associations run on a volunteer basis, with the most passionate and engaged residents giving many hours every month to engage with local government and communities. Entirely volunteer-based models can bring challenges because often, only a small pool of people has time to regularly contribute, and it can be difficult to maintain consistency and momentum for unpaid work. 

Having a paid administrator, even a part-time one, and the funds necessary to lead community initiatives can make your residents' association much more effective. Some funding can come through donations, but the most sustainable model to cover operational expenses for residents' associations is to collect membership fees from households and businesses. Depending on your area and what range of services the residents' association offers, this can range from R75 to R300 per household per month. 

4. Build strong community relationships

Having as many households become members of your residents' association as possible makes it stronger and allows it to do more. Finding creative ways to connect with residents can help grow your base. In Parkhurst, for example, members get discounts at local shops and events, and expert help with following up on service delivery reporting. Resident associations often include the most active and informed citizens who have regular communication with councillors and city officials, so being a member can be a good way to become better informed about what's happening in a neighbourhood. 

Everyone benefits from your area being safer and more functional because of the work of residents' associations. Many also partner with local organisations. In Melville, the residents' association supports Creass Community Services, which cleans streets and repairs pavements. In White River, the local resident association works with The Power of 8000, a civic action group that removes rubbish from public spaces, maintains parks and builds playgrounds.

5. Get organised to work with the municipality

Residents' associations are a way to combine resources and energy to hold the municipality accountable when there’s an issue that needs to be fixed. Many have the best luck when they work together, not aggressively, with the local government.

In Parkhurst, the Residents Association has found that one of the most effective ways to get issues solved is to meet with government officials in person and take them to the place in the neighbourhood where there is an issue. For example, for over a year and a half, there was a big trench left open after Joburg Water completed emergency repairs. The Johannesburg Road Agency, which was responsible for repairing the road, needed Joburg water to backfill the trench. The residents' association invited managers from both departments to the site at the same time and succeeded in getting them to coordinate and fix the trench within two weeks. 

As Rosholt puts it, “It’s not a perfect science. We've arrived at some of these things through experimentation and sort of fairly consistent failure in certain regards.” It takes time and effort to figure out what works for your community, but an active and engaged residents' association can be well worth it in the benefits it brings to your community.