Metro districts and HOAs are common language in the housing space, but even savvy consumers might be confused by what exactly is meant by these terms.

Most master-planned communities, like Sonders Fort Collins, have both a metro district and an HOA, each of which serve different – and very important – purposes in the community.

To better understand how this all works, let’s look at the basic questions and see how they apply at Sonders Fort Collins: What is a metro district? What is an HOA? And why are they important?

What is a Metro District?

A metro district is a local government that is in charge of the infrastructure for a new development.

An amendment to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights made it more difficult for municipalities to raise money for infrastructure improvements, which made metro districts a popular option for fulfilling needs like sewer, water, fire services, and street infrastructure, as well as recreational amenities like parks and trails.

Most recent development is located in a metro district, and Sonders Fort Collins is no exception. For example, Sonders is part of the Waters’ Edge Metro Districts 1-2, which includes all of the homes, townhomes and future condominiums at Sonders.

Typically, a metro district handles the use, cleaning, and maintenance for all the community amenities. At Sonders, the metro district will take care of the Sonders Learning Center, the Studios, and all of the parks, open space, and trails in the community.

The metro district at Sonders also handles trash and recycling collection, and front yard and tree lawn irrigation. Plus the the low-maintenance features of front yard landscaping and snow removal. That’s way more than the average services provided by a metro district, and it gives residents the benefits of a lock-and-leave, manageable, get-your-time-back type of community.

Get the details and the latest info on the Metro District fees at Sonders by checking our For Residents page.

What is an HOA?

Unlike metro districts, an HOA is a private organization usually created by the community developer. Their role is to preserve the look of a neighborhood and ensure community members are abiding by certain aesthetics in an effort to maintain property values.

HOAs rarely play a role in maintaining infrastructure like water and sewage for a community, though they often help with maintenance and landscaping.

Sonders Fort Collins has both an HOA and a Metro District, but they serve different purposes.

The Sonders Fort Collins Lake Association is a limited-purpose HOA, as its primary role is to provide access to the Richards Lake shoreline via the shoreline trails. Sonders HOA also manages use of the water’s surface, such as use of non-motorized watercraft and fishing.

The For Residents page has the most up-to-date details on Sonders HOA.

The Benefits of Metro Districts and HOAs

Both metro districts and HOAs are intended to create a shared, communal approach to caring for and maintaining our amenities and homes. Both institutions are rooted in the idea of community: that homeowners, along with their neighbors, are invested in and care about the look, feel, and function of their community.

HOAs and Metro Districts are often misinterpreted as controlling or invasive entities, but at the end of the day, their purpose – along with the purpose of a metro district – is to make life in a community more comfortable, beautiful, and easy.

HOAs and metro districts send a clear message: we’re all in this together, so let’s do it right. At Sonders Fort Collins, you get the best of both, with a metro district and an HOA that allow residents to have their voices heard and their needs met.

Learn more about the Metro District and HOA at Sonders by browsing our FAQ on the For Residents page.