WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $2.7 billion to public housing authorities across the country, including more than $138 million across Illinois.

In our listening area, the Marion County Housing Authority will receive nearly $1.2 million in grant funding while the Housing Authority of Jefferson County will receive nearly $810,000.

The grants announced Friday are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which offers annual funding to approximately 2,900 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate, and/or modernize the public housing in their communities.

Housing authorities use the funding to complete large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.