In the two weeks after receiving a free tablet computer with Internet service, Doreen Berry applied for a handful of jobs, her daughter landed an Interview and her son completed a high school book report on the device from their West Baltimore home.

That’s exactly what officials with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City hoped for when they arranged to give away 500 tablets with two-year Internet subscriptions to their tenants as part of an effort to confront the so-called digital divide, the virtual disconnect from information and opportunities that disproportionately affects low-income and minority families.

The housing authority’s giveaway is aligned with a sweeping U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development goal to address the national disparity by leaning on nonprofits and companies to help connect families.