The cities of Lewiston and Auburn have been awarded a combined $2.2 million community development grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grant was announced Tuesday in a joint press release from Maine U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement that the grants “are especially vital to communities in Maine because they support the expansion of programs and infrastructure that benefit low-income and struggling residents.”

HUD funds private housing developments for low-income residents; it provides rental assistance to about 1.5 million low-income households; and it funds community revitalization projects to meet local needs and expand opportunities for Americans.