Residents association

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 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 Increase the sense of belonging to a community; Inform residents of their rights under the law and in particular under the Landlord and Tenant related legislation; 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. 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 Assist in resolving disputes between individual residents Organise opposition to undesirable planning applications

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

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

12. It helps in decentralised modes of waste management thorugh the activities of Bio gas plants, Composting plants etc Residents associations provide closed environments around the residence s to enhance the safety and security. 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 Delivary . 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 September 17, 2018, from http://www.flat-living.co.uk/advice/901-why-a-residents-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://cmputhiadvocates.com/role-of-the-resident-associations-in-land-use-planning-and-development/