The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $82.4 million to 88 organizations to provide training and advice to help local groups around the country more effectively use HUD assistance for housing and community development activities.

``These grants will help empower people in communities across our nation to find local solutions to local problems,'' said HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. ``We know that the experts on Detroit are in Detroit, and the experts on Pierre, South Dakota are in Pierre. Instead of trying to come up with one-size-fits-all programs for communities of all shapes and sizes, we want to help groups tailor our programs to meet each community's individual needs.''

The 88 organizations receiving the HUD grants will assist local non-profits, local and state governments and other groups in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories that have received or are seeking HUD funds to develop and implement improved initiatives using the HUD assistance.

The training and advice funded by the new grants -- known as technical assistance -- will be focused on improving the local performance of four HUD programs: Community Development Block Grants, HOME, Supportive Housing, and Community Housing Development Organizations.

HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Cardell Cooper and Director of the Center For Community and Interfaith Partnerships Father Joseph Hacala made the announcement of the grants at a news conference.

At the meeting, Hacala challenged technical assistance providers to find ways to ensure their assistance reaches a broader range of grass roots groups.

Cooper said that ``the technical assistance program demonstrates HUD's commitment to providing front-end assistance to help grass roots organizations -- our partners -- successfully access and utilize HUD's programs and resources. Coupled with the best HUD budget in a decade, these resources will enable neighborhoods and communities that have the greatest need obtain access to the wider menu of HUD's programs.''

Non-profits and other groups can contact a Community Builder in their local HUD office to learn about opportunities to receive technical assistance funded by the grants announced today.