The Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Austin received $416,393 in federal funding last week.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan on Feb. 10 awarded public housing authorities in Minnesota more than $28 million that will be used to make major large-scale improvements to their public housing units.

The grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which provides annual funding to all public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate or modernize the public housing in their communities. This funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and to make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

“This funding will help housing authorities address long-standing capital improvements, but it only scratches the surface in addressing the deep backlog we’re seeing across the country,” Donovan said.