HOA's are making the home crisis worse

An index of Florida homeowner and condominium associations covering 104,659 entities (27,377 with unit counts representing about 1.52 million homes) compiles official court dockets and county recorder records to document how associations are intensifying the housing crisis. The data show 10,296 foreclosure suits filed by associations against members, 460,412 claims of lien, 277,047 lis pendens, 48,999 court records naming an association, and 6,661 associations whose corporate registration is lapsed or delinquent. Associations bring more foreclosure suits than lenders on file, and filings peaked in 2009 with renewed elevation in recent years (599 suits in 2025, 667 so far in 2026). Broward and Miami‑Dade counties account for the largest concentrations of liens and lis pendens.

The record argues associations worsen all three dimensions of the crisis: price, supply and tenure. Statutory lien and foreclosure powers (Fla. Stat. 720.3085 and 718.116) let associations pursue small unpaid assessments that swell with fees and legal costs, and claims of lien routinely block sales and refinances (60% of liens were followed by lis pendens). Post‑Surfside reforms (SB 4‑D; sections 553.899 and 718.112(2)(g)) mandate inspections and reserve funding, driving higher dues and special assessments; Redfin and industry reports show double‑digit HOA fee increases and a near 10% drop in condo values. Protracted litigation (half of closed cases exceed 223 days) and inactive corporate statuses further stall transactions and shift costs onto every owner, reducing market liquidity and increasing housing instability.