Neighborhood Associations
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
Practice Neighborhood Associations
Find a neighborhood association near you.
(Here is a list of RNOs in Denver.)Attend a neighborhood association meeting. (Attend to listen and learn.)
Encourage the leadership of the neighborhood association. (Send a note to the leaders saying thanks for their work in the neighborhood.)
Serve or lead with a neighborhood association.(Become an advocate for concerns, connection, and celebration in your neighborhood.)
Being involved in a neighborhood association is a practice of listening and learning. A neighborhood association can give a voice to neighborhood concerns, coordinate community events, and provide communication between the city and the neighborhood.
The city of Denver has 178 Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNO). These are different from Homeowners’ Associations (HOA). Where an HOA has mandatory membership and fees for property owners, an RNO is a neighborhood association voluntarily organized by residents who collaborate to create a unified voice about the conditions and concerns in the neighborhood.
Paul Kashmann, Denver City Council District 6, said in an personal interview, “A RNO needs to represent the totality of the population of the neighborhood, creating a two-way street of communication with the city.” Neighborhood associations provide a place to listen to the concerns of the community. They are forums to hear the various perspectives on the needs of the neighborhood. Involvement in a neighborhood association requires cultivating both aspects of good communication - speaking and listening.
Neighborhood associations are organizers of celebrations. They serve as the neutral neighborhood host for block parties, park picnics, and community events. These events connect diverse neighbors and businesses who live and work near each other. The neighborhood organization is a practice of learning to listen, and learning to love your neighbors and neighborhood.
