Queen Creek resident Chris Clark hopes his idea to combat blight grows roots faster than the weeds popping up in the yards of foreclosed homes.

Clark is working with Deputy Town Manager Shane Dille to form an HOA Congress aimed at battling blight in the face of mounting foreclosures. Clark said that now, more than ever, community and homeowners association leaders need to get a handle on weeds, vandalism, green pools and other issues before the problem gets out of control.

Clark is targeting the end of June or beginning of July for the group's first meeting.

"The problems are progressing, and at some point we may be overrun," he said. "We used to think 12-inch weeds were a problem; now we're dealing with worse."

In the Maricopa County portion of Queen Creek that makes up a majority of the town limits, there were 247 foreclosures between January 2007 and January 2008. There are currently 281 houses in foreclosure in the same area, according to real estate data analyst Tom Ruff with Glendale-based Information Market.

For sale signs dot many Queen Creek neighborhoods, and in some cases the telltale weeds and trash in the front yards of foreclosed houses hurt the curb appeal of other houses that are neatly kept.

"We need to be working together to solve these issues," Clark said. "It's not fair to the neighbors."

With the increasing foreclosures, HOAs can only do so much, said Clark, who serves as HOA president for his community, Queenland Manor. His neighborhood has been largely spared from the trend with only about a dozen houses affected by foreclosure now, he said.

Homeowners associations are hamstrung by costs because assessments against properties don't stick once they have been foreclosed on, and the HOAs are spending money to clean up.

The idea of an HOA Congress is to bring the neighborhoods in the area together, even those without a homeowners association, and find out what can be done to combat the issues of weeds, vandalism and graffiti. Clark said he is concerned that the problem could escalate, that abandoned or vacant homes could attract squatters or become drop houses and meth houses - something he's heard about in other parts of the Valley.

Cynthia Dunham, executive director and founder of the Leadership Centre, said having an HOA Congress in Queen Creek is a "fabulous idea." She said HOAs across the Valley are experiencing similar challenges, and the impact is only increasing.

The East Valley-based Leadership Centre is a nonprofit organization that provides education and mediation resources to neighborhoods.

"I think anytime you can bring people together that have a common interest, there's networking and they can learn from each other," Dunham said. "For the town to be involved is also a great opportunity, they can learn from folks who are at the grass-roots level."

Queen Creek's HOA Congress will help provide a better understanding of what the town can do to help and what help the town needs from homeowners associations to step in and battle some of the problems.

"I am personally interested in this particular project," Dille said. "Especially in light of our economic circumstances, it provides a resource and a tool to come together and pool resources to generate ideas and help for each other."

Dille called the idea "timely" and said the town's role is supporting the concept, providing a place to meet and making available community development and preservation staff to help.

"As we come together as a group we can share stories and figure out the best plan of attack," Dille said.

Clark also envisions training opportunities for members of the HOA Congress, such as learning about cash flow in tough times, selecting management companies, and learning about leans and judgments against properties.

"We need to be getting out in front of the curve," he said. "This is our chance to be proactive."