Homeowners associations provide valuable opportunities for neighbors to work together toward a common goal of improving and maintaining the quality of life in their neighborhood.
What is a Homeowners Association?
Homeowners associations are formal legal entities created to maintain common areas and enforce private deed restrictions (CC&R’s). Most condominium and townhome developments, and single-family subdivisions have homeowners’ associations, which are usually created when the development is built.
Features of a Homeowners Association:
- Membership is mandatory for all property owners within the boundaries of the development
- Members are usually charged mandatory fees
- Homeowners associations have the legal authority to enact and enforce maintenance and design standards in addition to those established by City ordinances
- Homeowners associations are corporations with formal bylaws – there is usually a governing board which may hire a property management company to handle maintenance and enforcement issues
- Many homeowners associations publish a newsletter, which is sent to members at the association’s expense.
The Communicaitons Department offers a variety of resources and networking opportunities for homeowners and neighborhood associations to organize and build connections within the community.
Grant Program
LACEY NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM
The Lacey City Council wishes to encourage neighborhood activities that foster community pride, expand community involvement, and beautify the city. To facilitate this initiative, the City Council implemented the Lacey Neighborhood Grant Program (LNGP) and has allocated $60,000 to this program, to improve our area neighborhoods. The LNGP is now available to both formally recognized HOAs and informal neighborhoods in the Lacey city limits.
GRANT CATEGORIES
Neighborhoods are encouraged to be creative within the categories, but please find some examples below
- Safe Neighborhoods and Community Emergency Response Team Organization (CERT)
Examples: Improved Lighting; Crime Stoppers Signs; Disaster Preparedness Planning; Secure Mailboxes, etc. - Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency
Examples: Tree Planting or Preservation; Water-wise Landscaping; Solar Lighting; Stormwater Facility Improvements; Rain Garden, Sprinkler System Enhancements, etc. - Neighborhood Beautification
Examples: “Curb Appeal” Projects; Neighborhood Art or Monument Signs; Picnic or Playground Area Enhancements, etc. - Board Education and Organizational Development
Examples: Board Member Classes, Conferences, or Workshop Trainings; Yard Signs or Other Communication Tools, etc. - Compassion
Examples: National Night Out Event; Little Free Library Station; Community Garden, Food Bank Drive, etc.
GRANT ELIGIBILITY
Requirements:
- Proposals may be submitted by a HOA or informal neighborhood located within the city limits. Informal neighborhoods must have a project team of at least 5 individuals (non-family related) who live in the neighborhood, accept responsibility for the project, and complete a Project Team Log with the grant application.
- Projects must have a lasting and/or direct benefit to the neighborhood.
- The proposal must be non-profit in nature.
- All projects must meet city regulations, ordinances, and non-discrimination policies.
- Neighborhoods may submit only one grant proposal per year.
- Projects must have documented support of the neighborhood and/or HOA and have a measurable outcome that provides public benefit to the community. For informal neighborhoods, the project team must complete a Project Team Log (see Attachment 1) at the time of application.
- Applications must be completed and submitted before the deadline.
The following are NOT ELIGIBLE for the neighborhood grant program:
- Projects that fund routine or recurring HOA maintenance.
- Examples NOT eligible:
- Monthly or Recurring Lawn Maintenance
- Routine Tree Trimming
- Recurring Mulch/Topsoil Installation
- Recurring Stormwater Facility Maintenance
- Examples NOT eligible:
- Any previously LNGP-funded projects.
- Applications from individuals, for-profit groups, and religious, or political groups.
- Projects that take place on an individual’s private/personal property. For example, landscape beautification on a residential lot.
- Projects outside of the City of Lacey.
- Projects that seek to promote any public or private group, business or commercial enterprise, political or religious group.
- Projects that utilize any form of hate speech or exclude any group or subgroup of people.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
- Award amount will not exceed 50% of the total project cost, up to a maximum amount of $2,500.
- Proposals require a dollar-for-dollar neighborhood match for City funds awarded.
- Adult volunteer hours, donated materials, and in-kind professional services are eligible for meeting the match requirements provided they are essential components of the project.
- The value of volunteer hours will be calculated using the Independent Sector’s value of volunteer time from the preceding year. For 2025, the value of each volunteer hour will be calculated at $31.80 per hour.
- Volunteer hours cannot include administrative services (e.g., fundraising, project planning, preparing proposals, acquiring bids).
- Donated materials will be valued at their retail price.
- Professional services will be estimated at the current market rate.
- Grantee must provide documentation to support all value calculations. Original receipts are required and must equal or exceed the requested grant match.
- A panel of City staff representing Communications, Community Development, and Parks Maintenance, will review proposals and make recommendations for final approval.
- A signed, written program agreement with the City will be required at the time of grant project approval.
- Contract will include an approved scope of work, term, and reimbursement guidelines.
- Proof of insurance is required as laid out in the grant program agreement
- Probation for Incomplete Projects
- If your HOA is unable to complete the project within the calendar year and does not use any portion of the allocated grant funds, you will be ineligible to participate in the grant program the following year.
- Accommodations may be made to the above for extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the City.
2025 GRANT APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Applications Open: January 6, 2025
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
Notice of Funding: Week of April 28 – May 2, 2025
Project Completion Deadline: December 31, 2025
Meetings & HOA Academy
QUARTERLY MEETINGS
Representatives from all homeowner and neighborhood associations are invited to attend community resource meetings sponsored by the City of Lacey.
Meetings are held quarterly with a variety of topics presented.
Weren’t able to attend past meetings? Don’t worry! We’ve started live-streaming and recording the quarterly HOA meetings so attendees can tune in remotely or view the meeting at a later date.
SOUTH SOUND HOA ACADEMY
The City of Lacey hosts an annual Homeowners Association (HOA) Academy each year for HOA board members and management companies in Lacey, Lacey’s Urban Growth Area (UGA), and other neighborhoods throughout the south sound.
This conference-style event features presentations from experts in their field to help you navigate your responsibilities as a board member and manage a successful HOA. Past Academy’s feature classes on the following topics:
- Stormwater Facility Maintenance Requirements & Water Resources
- Rules for an Effective Association
- Budget Planning for the Year
- A Look at New HOA Legislation
- Best Practices for Enforcing CC&Rs
- Directors & Officers Liability
- Emergency Management Planning
- Plats & Plans – Learn Who’s Responsible for What
The 2024 HOA Academy took place on Saturday, March 30. Stay tuned for information on next year’s training event!
Contact: Jenny Bauersfeld, Community Relations Specialist | jenny.bauersfeld@cityoflacey.org | 360.438.2621
Directory
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS DIRECTORY
The Neighborhood Associations Directory is a resource booklet containing information on neighborhood and homeowner associations, both active and inactive, within Lacey’s corporate limits and Urban Growth Area (UGA).
Information in this directory is updated by the Public Affairs Department.
To request a copy of the directory, submit a Public Records Request:
- Submit an Online Public Records Request Form through the Public Records Center Portal; or
- Submit completed form to: cityclerk@cityoflacey.org;
- Mail completed form to Lacey City Clerk, 420 College Street SE, Lacey, WA 98503; or
- Bring completed form to Lacey City Hall at 420 College Street SE, Lacey.
Note: Information contained in this directory is not intended for commercial use.
To include or update information for your association:
Contact Public Affairs at (360) 491-3214 to request a Neighborhood Associations Update Form or simply email updated information to publicaffairs@cityoflacey.org.
Map
Locate Neighborhood Associations
A map to locate Lacey homeowner and neighborhood associations is available through this website. For additional information, please contact Lacey Public Affairs at publicaffairs@ci.lacey.wa.us or (360) 491-3214.
View Map: Lacey Neighborhood Associations map
If you should notice any errors in our mapping application, please notify us at publicaffairs@ci.lacey.wa.us.
