Lewiston Housing Authority was awarded more than $200,000 in federal funding this week.

U.S. Sen. Sen. Collins, chairwoman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the Lewiston agency received $213,539 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) grant program. Portland Housing Authority received $240,756.

“Maine’s housing authorities provide an array of vital services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income individuals and families,” Collins said in a news release from her office.

As head of the subcommittee, she wrote, “I am committed to ensuring that the housing needs of vulnerable individuals and families are met. By supporting public housing agencies, these grants will help connect Mainers with the resources they need to achieve economic independence.”

The purpose of the ROSS Service Coordinator program is to provide funding to hire and maintain service coordinators who assess the needs of residents of conventional public housing or Indian housing and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs.

These services enable participating families to increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency. In the case of elderly or disabled residents, services help improve living conditions and enable residents to age in place.

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