Wareham has been given $900,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to be used for housing rehabilitation, downtown improvements to Wareham Village area, and social service programs, state officials announced.

Planned uses for the block grant in the Wareham Village area include roadway, sidewalk, drainage, and "streetscape" improvements. Social service programs include: a special-needs youth scholarship program, a food pantry, a transportation assistance program, and comprehensive services for the homeless, according to a statement from the office of State Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham).

The grant is part of $26.8 million in federal "block grant" funds that support housing rehabilitation, public service projects, and local infrastructure improvements throughout Massachusetts.

“These grants are critical investments to help communities fix-up homes and roadways and provide much-needed local services for residents while putting people to work,” said Governor Deval Patrick.

“The Community Development Block Grants help improve the quality of our municipalities,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “As we continue to invest in cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth, this funding will go towards revitalizing our streets and neighborhoods, helping to put our communities and residents on the path to economic recovery.”

The Community Development Block Grant program is the Commonwealth’s largest available resource for neighborhood revitalization projects.

The program helps meet the housing and public service needs of low- and moderate-income communities while building and repairing infrastructure vital to the health and safety of all residents.

Historically, 40 percent of block grant funds distributed have been used for infrastructure projects that help communities create and maintain jobs while providing important improvements to local infrastructure, according to the press release.

The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and funds are distributed by the state Department of Housing and Community Development to cities and towns in Massachusetts with populations of less than 50,000.

Eligible communities with populations greater than 50,000 receive program funding directly from federal government.

The block grant program funds the following types of activities: housing rehabilitation projects, infrastructure repair or replacement, construction or rehabilitation of public facilities, neighborhood improvement projects, economic development loans and other business assistance programs, social service upgrades, downtown improvement projects and architectural barrier removal and planning.

The maximum grant for a single community is $1 million.