INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded 14 grants totaling more than $1.2 million to local public housing authorities in Indiana to help client families achieve self-sufficiency.

HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency program helps local housing authorities hire service coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with programs and services in a community that will help them find jobs, increase earned income and reduce or eliminate the need for rental and/or welfare assistance.

HUD said Thursday the Indianapolis Housing Agency is receiving a $243,000 grant, and housing authorities in Evansville, Fort Wayne, New Albany and Terre Haute each are getting grants of more than $100,000.

Smaller grants are going to housing authorities in Kokomo, Hammond, Bloomington, Vincennes, Marion, Elkhart, South Bend, Columbus, and Gary.