First Realty Supports Multiple Centers

01/21/2003

Boston, MA––“Bill Kargman wants children who live at his properties to have access to computers, so they are not at a disadvantage in school. We find that amenities like Neighborhood Networks centers make our properties well-rounded and more competitive in the rental market,” emphasizes Nancy Hogan, vice president at First Realty Management (FRM) in Boston. FRM President Bill Kargman lets experience speak for itself. Under Kargman’s leadership, FRM has developed and managed government-assisted housing for 40 years. The company’s 5,500-unit portfolio ranges from HUD-assisted communities to luxury rentals and condominiums throughout New England. Committed to building a sense of community, Kargman has provided onsite management offices, community facilities, and onsite services in FRM’s HUD-assisted communities since the 1970s. Although Kargman’s philosophy was the exception at that time, more managers and owners are following Kargman’s model, as evidenced by the growing number of Neighborhood Networks centers––more than 1,100––in privately owned developments around the country. Early Involvement Not surprisingly, FRM was among the first management companies in New England to be involved with HUD’s Neighborhood Networks initiative. Kargman opened FRM’s first computer learning center (CLC) in East Providence, Rhode Island. Now six of FRM’s seven CLCs are funded through individual site operations. The seventh center was funded through a HUD Drug Elimination grant. FRM was one of the first companies to discover what many others now realize––opening more than one Neighborhood Networks center is great for residents and good for business, too. “As a for-profit entity, FRM does not qualify for benefits accruing to nonprofit organizations. Therefore, we try to maximize each dollar spent for the learning centers. It is a large commitment, and we have maintained level funding at the properties for the centers over the last 3 years,” Hogan explains. “At our larger properties, we contract with nonprofit organizations, such as Jewish Vocational Services, to provide job training and other programs. At FRM’s smaller properties, resident activities directors provide instruction and oversee the computer learning centers in addition to their other responsibilities.” “The center classes have been well received by most residents,” according to Hogan. “If there’s space, we do recruit participants from the community.” FRM’s Neighborhood Networks centers offer a wide range of programs based on the interest of residents. Classes have included training on Office, Word, Excel, and Web design. Children have also developed internal Web sites at most of the CLCs. ScienceQuest FRM’s Battles Farm Village Computer Learning Center in Brockton, Massachusetts, hosts ScienceQuest––a program sponsored and supported by the Education Development Corporation (EDC). Extremely popular with youth, this program combines science and technology with the help of many outside resources including EDC, the National Science Foundation, the Boston Museum of Science, and the World Wide Web. ScienceQuest has also brought the Battles Farm Village Computer Learning Center some special recognition. The program involved students aged 10 to 14, who formed teams under the guidance of volunteer coaches to investigate an area of science that interested them. It is destined to be the 21st-century version of the science fair: Web sites that display their discoveries. Academic Olympiad The CLC initiative fits well with Kargman’s educational focus for children in the housing he manages. For example, FRM sponsors an Academic Olympiad at Harvard each year, based on 10 years of success in organizing annual athletic competitions for the children who live in the rental communities managed by the company. The Academic Olympiad comprises a variety of age-appropriate challenges, from brainteasers and general knowledge questions to unique mental athletics requiring engineering, construction, and other skills in the physical sciences. According to Kargman, “This academic competition gives us a chance to encourage kids to develop leadership skills and self-confidence by striving to improve their mental, not just athletic abilities. Best of all, this can help reinforce a cultural belief that knowledge and teamwork are positive values that deserve peer recognition.” This event also encourages collaborative effort within the company and with the larger community. Harvard University provides the space, and employees from throughout FRM volunteer to conduct and judge the competitions or chaperone site teams. Local college students who volunteer at the afterschool programs held at most FRM apartment communities also help coach and prepare the teams in advance of the event. This year, the Fourth Annual FRM Olympiad took place at Harvard University on Saturday, November 23. Future Plans In the future, FRM would like to offer Russian-language computer classes at those properties where many recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union now live. If other managers and owners want to expand or start offering onsite resident services, Hogan advises them to search for nonprofit partners, such as foundations and universities that are interested in promoting education. For more information about Neighborhood Networks centers in Massachusetts, contact: Mari Adams U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Boston Office Thomas O'Neil Federal Building 10 Causeway Street, Room 301 Boston, MA 02222-1092 Phone: (617) 565-5416 E-mail: Mari_Adams@hud.gov For more information, about First Realty Management Neighborhood Networks centers, contact: Nancy Hogan Phone: (617) 423-7000 E-mail: Nhoganfrm@aol.com

Center(s) Highlighted or Profiled:	Battles Farm Village
Scope:	National

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