The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded public housing authorities in Massachusetts more than $52 million in funding that will be used to make major large-scale improvements to public housing units.

Housing authorities from Lowell to Chicopee will benefit from the funding. To see a complete list of Massachusetts recipients, click here.

The grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which provides annual funding to all public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. The funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and to make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

"This funding will help housing authorities address long-standing capital improvements, but it only scratches the surface in addressing the deep backlog we’re seeing across the country," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Today, we are closer to helping housing authorities and our private sector partners undertake their capital needs over the long haul. With the passage of HUD’s 2012 budget, Congress gave HUD the go-ahead for a new, comprehensive and critical demonstration tool that we believe will help preserve and enhance America’s affordable housing, including public housing."