Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel announced three Housing and Urban Development grants for Mount Vernon totaling $2,833,767 to develop housing and economic opportunities, improve emergency homeless shelters, and expand the supply of decent housing to low- and very low-income families.

Rep. Engel said, “These grants will help improve the housing stock in Mount Vernon helping residents in need there to obtain adequate housing. It will also help those in dire need of emergency shelter while helping the city to create a better environment for neighborhood development, which is all the more welcome, coming in a time of economic hardship.”

The Community Development Block Grant of $1,973,628 will provide decent housing and a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities, primarily for low- and moderate-income people. Annual CDBG funds are distributed to communities according to formulas based on population, poverty, pre-1940s housing stock, growth lag and housing overcrowding.

The HOME program grant of $779,900 will help expand the supply of decent, affordable housing to low- and very low-income families by providing grants to fund housing programs to meet local needs.

The $80,239 for the Emergency Shelter Grant provides annual money to improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.