MT. VERNON — The Illinois Department of Commerce has announced that 13 communities will receive a combined $6 million in public funds through the Community Development Block Grant, and Mt. Vernon is among those communities. These grants will help low-to-moderate income communities improve housing, and rehabilitate and retrofit residential properties.

The city of Mt. Vernon will receive $450,000 in grant money through CDBG. Mt. Vernon City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel says this isn’t the first time the city has received grant money to help residents repair their homes.

Bechtel says the grant helps some residents improve and upgrade their homes when they otherwise might not be able to.

Other area communities to receive funds this year include Benton, Farina, Flora, Royalton, Sesser, and West City.