Federal officials are sending millions of dollars in rental assistance to help people with disabilities in a dozen states.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said this month that it will distribute $74 million to state housing finance agencies to support about 2,400 housing units for up to five years.

The rental assistance is pegged for extremely low-income individuals with disabilities and is being provided through the agency’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program, officials said.

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“We are committed to ensuring that extremely low-income persons with disabilities have access to safe, sanitary, accessible and affordable rental homes with the supportive services they need to live independently,” said Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.

Housing agencies selected for the grants are working with Medicaid and other human services agencies in their states to identify people with disabilities who need long-term services in order to live independently, federal officials said.

Awards ranging from $1.3 million to $7 million are headed to state agencies in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development indicated that it provides rental assistance for over 35,000 households through the Section 811 program.

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