WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is allocating more than $4 million to Maine for COVID-19 response efforts. The funding is part of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that is awarding a total of $1 billion to states nationwide.
The money is part of the third wave of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. To date, more than $3 billion in CDBG funding has been awarded nationwide to help communities combat the coronavirus and alleviate economic hardship.
The new round of funding for Maine will seek to aid low-income individuals, the elderly, and needy children as well as help those impacted by economic and housing disruptions. Funding will also help with efforts to reduce the risk of transmission and the number of COVID-19 cases.
“These additional funds give our Maine communities the additional tools and flexibility that they need to continue this fight against COVID-19,” David Tille, HUD New England Regional Administrator, said in a statement.
The funds will, “safely provide low-income seniors with access to food, health care, and other basic needs,” HUD says. The funds will also supply food to poor children who otherwise do not have access to adequate nutrition.
For places with high unemployment claims, the funding will help businesses, renters, and homeowners who may be struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.
In HUD’s first wave of funding, over $3 billion was allocated to states nationwide to help protect the homeless and those with compromised immune systems, as well as assist tribal communities in their COVID-19 response efforts.
In the second wave of funding, low-income Americans living in public housing were the focus.
As with the first and second waves, every U.S. state and territory will receive a portion of the third wave of relief funds.
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