The interference by HOA in individuals' quests for more eco-friendly homes is a surprisingly common issue.
In a recent Reddit post on the subreddit r/HOA, the issue was flipped on its head, as an HOA president sought advice for helping their board pass a native plant proposal.
"The landscape committee recently submitted an awesome proposal to the [HOA] board regarding planting natives .... I personally think the proposal is fantastic," the HOA president wrote.
Despite their approval of the proposal and the fact that the landscape committee provided a detailed plan for the native plants, another HOA board member pushed back, bringing the poster to the subreddit for advice.
Installing native plants, also known as rewilding your yard, is a process by which you choose naturally growing flowers or grass to make your lawn a thriving part of the natural ecosystem.
As native species support one another, local pollinators will also support your native garden, and your garden will support the pollinators right back. That means you can spend less time and money maintaining your yard, and you won't need harsh pesticides.
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Other individual run-ins with HOAs have included being prevented from charging their EV, as well as being demanded to remove their solar panels.
While these instances can feel overwhelming, there are steps you can take to work with your HOA, potentially changing bylaws when necessary for sustainable home additions.
Commenters shared their insight for the HOA president moving forward with the native plant proposal.
"The board should give [the] committee a budget , and a framework/ charter that defines the scope of work desired and any restrictions ( like they can not use invasive plants),'" one user suggested.
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The OP responded, saying: "I think I will share this with the other board member who is having such an issue with their proposal. Everything they have outlined that they plan to do seems perfectly reasonable to me."
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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