The problem is that those standards can change based on who's elected or chosen to run the HOA.

they can, but in my experience rule changes are approximately zero. All of the HOAs I've lived in have been very reasonable. When I was on the receiving end of notices - they were well-deserved as much as they were embarrassing.

Such is the problem with living in a "town" -- or anywhere with a city/community council. People are allowed to move to an adjacent neighborhood, or county, or anywhere, if they don't like the standards and governance.

And this is how we get Redlining

Not sure how redlining comes into this. Everyone in my neighborhood provided no fewer than 3 signatures in a contract agreeing to abide by the well-documented community standards for use and upkeep of their property.

I’m sure those community standards don’t suggest in any way that they might impinge on the freedom of expression of any minorities who might consider moving to the neighbourhood…

> freedom of expression

I don't believe that it is a constitutional right to live in a neighborhood that will permit you to operate a chop-shop in your overgrown yard.

It's not a question of being at odds with the agreed-upon standards. They aren't.

> They should leave if it is really that stressful and onerous.

Easier said than done. A few people I know found that it was difficult to sell their home because the existence of an HOA scares off buyers.

> difficult to sell their home because the existence of an HOA scares off buyers

It can be a concern. But I actually found the opposite to be true in my case. During my house-hunt I was far more turned-off by the appearance and disrepair of several houses and properties near the places that I was looking at. So it can definitely be a consideration from both perspectives.

> place where they are constantly at odds with the agreed-upon standards of the community.

I didn't write those standards, so why would I agree with them? Should I be homeless now?

You seem to not understand what a Homeowner Association is. You have to agree to the rules in order to live in the community. However, you can choose not to agree to the rules if you don't like them. In which case, you can move somewhere else in order to avoid homelessness.

You can’t have a property under an HOA that you didn’t agree to. Either you were the owner when the original HOA was entered into, or you were aware of it when you purchased the property.

You could also inherit or be given the property. The HOA and related things, such as requirements to maintain an existing easement or private roadway that crosses the property, would normally be part of the deed/plat and come with the property without you ever having to formally agree to them.

The thing that really makes me wonder are some of the horror stories where new homeowners were surprised by the HOA existence, or at least some of the enforcement actions. It also seems like an easy thing to fake for the clicks, who knows.