A group of Watertown High School students is expected to work with Neighbors of Watertown Inc. this summer to determine whether tenants renting single-family houses on the city's east side would be interested in buying them as part of a neighborhood revitalization effort.

Neighbors of Watertown administers several housing assistance programs, including those designated to help first-time home-buyers. The nonprofit agency has been focusing its efforts on neighborhood renewal projects on the east side, and one idea that will be explored this summer is determining how much interest there would be in home ownership in certain neighborhoods, said Gary C. Beasley, agency director.

The idea of owning a home may be particularly attractive to tenants who are renting single-family houses because of potential rent increases as a result of the Fort Drum expansion, he said.

The agency is interested in examining the neighborhoods behind Emerson Place off State Street. This would include houses on several streets, including Bronson, Burchard and Olive streets.

A recent survey of that area indicted that a high number - about 70 percent - of the single-family houses were not owner-occupied, Mr. Beasley said.

"We've got several programs that would enable people to become first-time home-buyers, and with the way rents are creeping up, it may be to their advantage financially," he said.

Plans call for the students to help the agency conduct door-to-door interviews "to determine who is the owner, who is the tenant, and if the tenants would like to continue to rent," Mr. Beasley said.

"We want to take a closer look at that housing area and get a better feel for the neighborhood," he said. "We want to determine how much housing is available for ownership."

Several students were recruited and paid stipends by First Presbyterian Church, 403 Washington St., last year to conduct a housing-needs analysis of the city's east side neighborhoods between Washington and Franklin streets, from Public Square to Flower Avenue East.

The teens conducted a six-week survey in the targeted area to gather information that could be used for funding applications for housing improvements. They also wrote letters that were sent to hundreds of residents in the targeted neighborhood explaining the project and encouraging them to attend informational meetings. They worked under the direction of Neighbors of Watertown Inc. out of space provided by the Watertown Family YMCA.

The Northern New York Community Foundation recently awarded a $9,500 grant to First Presbyterian Church to continue the program this summer. The church is seeking some additional funding to expand both the number of internships available and the scope of work, said the Rev. Frederick G. Garry, pastor.

"This will be an exciting project for the students," he said. "We are also hoping to do more field work and hold public meetings to gather input from the residents of those neighborhoods."

The summer internship program will provide students with "real-life experience that they won't forget," the Rev. Mr. Garry said.

"The interns totally amazed us last year" with the amount of information they were able to gather and their ability to communicate with the neighborhood residents, Mr. Beasley said.