What is HOPA?

HOPA - Ensuring our community's future

The Housing for Older People Act* (HOPA)was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives and signed into law in 1995. This federal legislation was designed to protect residents of 55+ communities, ensuring those communities are exempt from the Fair Housing Act** which allows people of any age to purchase property within a planned retirement residential common interest community.

This federal law states that it is legal for communities to market themselves as "55+"or "age-restricted" provided they maintain that 80% of the residential units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older. However, if the number of persons age 55+ in a given community falls below the 80% threshold, the community could lose its age-restricted status (and loss of such status would be permanent).

What does this mean for Silver Ridge Park Westerly?

Without HOPA, for those of us who bought homes here in Westerly with intentions of enjoying our retirement among our peers, losing our 55+ status could change everything that we enjoy socially and economically.

What can You do to ensure SRP Westerly remains a 55+ community status?

• Every two years, the State of New Jersey mandates all age restricted communities HOA's collect a HOPA Survey from every living unit.
• The collection of data requests provisioning of the names of all residential occupants, ages and dates of birth.
• SRP Westerly has 659 living units and our mandatory survey year begins January 2024.
• SRP Westerly HOA requires each household to complete the HOPA survey, sign and return to our Clubhouse as soon as possible.
• HOPA Surveys are available in our monthly Sign Post magazine or you can download your Westerly HOPA Form here.

What else can You do to help?

• Don't be left out of having a voice in your community
• In 2022 SRP Westerly's HOPA survey yielded only 88.2% participation.
• With 100% community participation we can prove that 80% of Westerly meets the necessary age requirement under the HOPA law.
• Your participation is essential to ensure our community maintains its HOPA status.

SRP Westerly HOA will keep you current on community participation and progress throughout the 2024 survey.

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_housing_older_persons

Questions and Answers About HOPA