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Brian Rega, director of St. Bernards Village, has earned certification as a Senior Housing Specialist (SHS).
He has taken part in training and successfully completed an examination to earn the designation Senior Housing Specialist from the National Center for Housing Management.
Rega participated in a program designed especially for those who manage Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidized senior housing. He gained a thorough understanding of government regulations that deal with HUD-subsidized senior housing, including program and project eligibility, income eligibility, allowances, verifications, the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
In addition, he studied the social and personal dimensions of senior housing that differentiate it from a conventional multifamily housing community. These include cultural attitudes toward the elderly, crafting a management style sensitive to anxieties and special needs of the elderly and working with resident service coordinators and a tenant assistance program.
The National Center for Housing Management (NCHM) was founded in 1972 by a presidential executive order and is the only private, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) training and education organization in the housing industry. Its mission is to provide objective and independent leadership at the national level to help meet the nation’s housing management and training needs. To that end it has developed comprehensive training and certification programs that range from compliance and performance education to technical support and consulting.
Rega oversees operation of Benedictine Manor I and II, collectively a 40-unit complex that opened early this year to provide affordable, independent, housing for adults age 62+. In addition, Rega is responsible for the daily operation of St. Bernards Village, a 179-unit retirement community that offers living accommodations in cottage homes, independent living apartments and assisted care. St. Bernards Village is the sponsoring entity of the Benedictine Manor properties.
A native of Ash Flat, Rega was graduated from Highland High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. A former Jonesboro alderman, he was named to the Arkansas Business list of “40 Under 40” in 2002 and chairs the board of directors for the Arkansas Residential Assisted Living Association. He is a member of the St. Bernards Advocates.
He also holds credentials as a Certified Aging Services Professional, Certified Occupancy Specialist, as a facilitator from Zenger-Miller Inc. of Oak Brook, Ill., and as a professional trainer from the Center for Regional Programs at ASU.