The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $3.6 million to the Colville Indian Housing Authority, the low-income housing entity of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Elena Bassett, executive director of the Nespelem, Wash.-based Colville Indian Housing Authority, says the Indian Housing Block Grant funds will be used for a variety of purposes, including operations, maintenance, and modernization of low-income housing.

The funds also can be used for down payment and rental assistance, crime prevention, helping the elderly remain in their homes, and the authority's administration and salaries, Bassett says.

The Colville Indian Housing Authority manages more than 400 residential units and employs 28 people, she says.

The award is part of nearly $210 million in Indian housing block grants HUD recently allocated to 146 tribes in 25 states, including $15.1 million to 12 tribal organizations in Washington state, HUD says. The funds are intended mostly to benefit low-income families living on Indian reservations or in other American Indian communities.

Recipients of Indian housing block grant funds must submit an annual performance report on their progress in meeting the goals and objectives included in their housing plans, HUD says.