Lincoln Military Housing has developed or co-developed more than 33,000 military family homes in communities throughout the United States.

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When Lincoln Property Co. began its partnership with the Department of the Navy in 2001 to build and manage military housing communities, the company was honored to accept its new role in the industry.

Since then, Lincoln Military Housing has applied its more than four decades of development, construction and management experience to “create a sense of comfort and well-being for the military families” that live in its communities, the company says.

According to Todd Zylka, vice president of asset management, military families are a unique demographic – one that requires the company to take into consideration the needs of a diverse segment of the population.

“What’s special about our market is that we’re dealing with many different types of families,” Zylka says. “It’s a different clientele, with people of all age groups, from the junior-enlisted families who could be in their early 20s, all the way to senior officers who may be empty-nesters. We cover the whole gamut of family demographics.”

The  Dallas-based company has developed or co-developed more than  33,000 military family homes in communities throughout the country for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps. and Army.         

Lincoln Military Homes also provides full-service property management services to these homes, as well.

High Standards
In addition to ensuring its accommodations are up to the market standards of similar homes nearby, the company provides additional community support programs for its residents.

For example, it offers support groups and assistance for military spouses, and a variety of activities for children. Residents also enjoy a number of free services such as Internet access, 24-hour maintenance services, special events and a courtesy patrol program.
    In addition, many Lincoln Military Homes communities offer services and amenities such as:
•    Intrusion alarm systems
•    Community centers
•    Homecoming events
•    Holiday and seasonal parties
•    Resident-management intranet
•    Free babysitting services
•    Town Hall resident forums

These services go above and beyond, helping the company achieve its goal of improving the lives of service members and their families,” he says.

“When a service member is deployed overseas, he or she can know that his spouse and children are in good hands with Lincoln.”

The firm also operates an extensive asset management program, and stresses the importance of preventive maintenance. “We take a proactive approach to maintenance and asset preservation,” Zylka explains.

In all of its communities, the company employs on-site staff to manage repair and address all maintenance requests received by its military families.

Although Lincoln has constructed several new communities, the majority of its construction work focuses on renovating its current properties to ensure all homes are comparable to similar residences in the general market. “Our renovation work can comprise anything from new window or appliance installation, to stripping a house down to the studs and rebuilding from there,” Zylka says.

“Everything is based on getting these homes as close to comparable homes in the general marketplace as we can. We don’t build sub-market housing. If you walk into a new military home we built and compare it to a similar home in the general market, you would not be able to tell the difference.”

Sense of Community
The company strives to create a strong sense of community and a family-friendly atmosphere in each of its locations, Lincoln explains.

“Parks, walking and biking paths, recreation and social areas are all incorporated into a beautifully designed and well-maintained neighborhood that residents are proud to call home,” the company says. “Each detail of the community plant is given meticulous thought, from the playground equipment to the lighting and landscape design.”

Meeting Needs
Lincoln says it also employs an individual who acts as its “ambassador to the Navy and Marine Corps,” to give the firm a clear idea of the needs and requirements of its clientele.

“We are fortunate to have Sam Merrick, vice president of military affairs on our staff, who spent six years in the Navy himself,” Zylka says. 

“Through his many contacts and personal experience, he was able to give us a head start in military housing.

“He also gave us a head start in developing solid community service programs that focus on family support and a lot of really fun activities and events for our residents,” Zylka adds.

Lincoln’s low turnover rate may be due to satisfaction in helping to serve this segment of society. “The company is very proud of the longevity of our employees,” Zylka says. “Employees want to be here; they know that the company is doing something right, and that’s important,” Zylka continues. “You spend a lot of hours of your life in the work place, so it’s important to believe in your work.”

Zylka himself has been with the firm for 15 years, and says this is not uncommon within the company.

The firm offers employee development programs, and stresses the importance of in-house promotions.

Through Lincoln University, employees can pursue industry accreditations and learn new ways to provide comprehensive customer service.

Lincoln Military Housing is committed to providing responsive and comprehensive maintenance services in all its communities, it says.

“Lincoln’s reputation for excellence in maintenance service is known industrywide,” the company explains. “Ongoing, comprehensive training is provided for all maintenance personnel throughout employment, including technical and customer service training,” he company says.

Round-the-Clock Maintenance
In addition, the company’s 24-hour maintenance response time is guaranteed for all emergency repairs, and even some non-emergency requests, according to Lincoln. “We all want to make sure that we can take good care of the people who are out there in the military taking care of us,” Zylka explains. “We have a wide variety of training classes, from sales to risk management to business writing.

“These classes are great for those people who really want to move up in the company and become seasoned property managers,” he continues.

Looking Forward
The future for Lincoln will bring an important transition for the company, as it moves from its initial development phase to the full-time property management phase, Zylka says. “We put together a five-year plan that we’re always reviewing, to see what we should be doing with each of our communities,” he explains. “It’s an ongoing process to constantly renew and maintain our portfolio to make sure we’re providing our military families with the best housing possible.”

“That is by far the best part of this job,” Zylka continues. “When I go to military family functions, I get to talk to these people about their spouses who are deployed in Iraq for six to 12 months,” he adds. “Hearing these things really makes everyone appreciate what our armed services do for us.

“There’s just an extra sense of duty and care that goes into building these homes, because we’re dealing with families that are sacrificing more than most Americans.”