In his  new book HOA: Crisis in America Dr. Gary Solomon provides a key piece of the puzzle that allows us to begin to see the real picture of what living in an HOA does to us. He provides the science of how HOAs affect us.  We have always known that stress causes health problems and we also are aware that stress is part of our daily lives and is not something any of us will ever be able to completely avoid. However, most of our stress is short lived.  Once the immediate situation is over with, our stress levels returns to normal.  But what happens when the stressors follow you home and never leave?

Dr. Gary Solomon joins us On The Commons and explains the difference between normal, every day, short lived stress and the changes that occur in our bodies during these periods of stress.  He then explains how the stress of living in a residential association where stress doesn’t come in short spurts but is always present affects us permanently.  The diseases we get can be, and often are, life threatening.

While the big picture of the devastation caused by HOAs is gradually coming into clearer focus, there are still a few missing pieces.  Dr. Solomon talks about the complete and total lack of data available about stress related diseases that are caused by HOAs.  What happens to patients who have suffered from these maladies?  Could they be prevented?  Would HOAs look different if we had the missing information?  How can we ensure that the data is collected?  This is where YOU, dear listeners, come in.  We do need your help with this project.  You can contact me through the show email onthecommons@cox.net .  The other missing piece of information is what is the true cost of HOAs?  We answer a lot of questions on this show but we also raise a lot that need to be addressed.