Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership is one of seven Minnesota organizations to be awarded a NeighborWorks grant. The Slayton agency’s share in the more than $3.1 million awarded is $440,000.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced the grant awards earlier this week.

The grants are made available to help more Minnesota families realize their dream of owning a home, increase access to affordable rental units, provide needed financial and counseling services to households throughout the state, and support the repair or rehabilitation of existing homes.

“The availability of affordable housing — housing that a family can fit in their budget — is one of the most important issues for families,” Klobuchar said. “These grants will help communities across Minnesota build and maintain reliable, affordable housing options for residents, and provide relief to Minnesotans who are still facing higher housing costs than they can handle.”

“Research has shown that a lack of an affordable, stable place to live makes it harder to find employment, maintain financial stability, succeed in school and sustain healthy living,” Smith said. “The NeighborWorks grants are so important because they are investments in local organizations that work on the front lines every single day to provide affordable housing to those who need it."

Four of the recipient organizations are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, with one awarded in Detroit Lakes and another in Duluth. Several of the organizations work on housing and community development projects across the state.