A federally funded Community Development Block Grant worth $825,000 is set to provide funding to the Wareham Housing Authority as well as five public service programs. The grant comes as part of a $32 million plan by the Baker-Polito Administration to support 41 projects across 59 Massachusetts communities.

According to Wareham Community and Economic Development Authority Manager Peter Sanborn, $165,000 of the Community Development Block Grant will split between local public service programs benefiting low-income families and the elderly.

The Boys & Girls Club of Wareham will receive $50,000 from the grant to support summer and after school programming. According to Club Director Kenny Fontes, these programs serve anywhere from 70 to 131 local kids per day.

"This grant will allow us to provide proper staffing for our programs," Fontes said. "With it, we'll be able to create six or eight new positions for Wareham High School students."

Damien's Place Food Pantry will receive $30,000 to cover administrative costs and provide food to families in need. Damien's serves an estimated 8,400 people annually.

Gatra will also receive $30,000 to help subsidize it's dollar ride program for Wareham seniors. This money will also cover out-of-town transportation services for low income families to access medical appointments.

Turning Point Day Resource Center will receive $35,000 to assist with homelessness prevention and other emergency assistance programs.

"This grant means everything to us," said Turning Point Treasurer Tom Fitzpatrick. "Without it, I don't know how we'd operate."

Turning Point provides monetary assistance to low income families who are near homeless by paying for things like utility bills and car repairs. According to Fitzpatrick, $10,000 of turning point's grant money will go directly towards rental assistance.

"We're enormously grateful," Fitzpatrick said.

The Council on Aging will also receive $20,000 to help cover administrative costs.

After that, $200,000 of the grant will go towards the town's housing rehab program. The housing rehab program provides funds to qualifying homeowners to support repairs they cannot afford on their own.

The program is designed to help eliminate blight in Wareham according to Sanborn. and the waitlist housing rehab assistance is currently is frozen due to high demand.

$250,000 will go towards community-run housing for low-income elderly and disabled residents at Redwood Park. There are 12 units at Redwood Park are in need of repair, and according to Sanborn, at least 3 of these structures need new roofs.

The remaining $210,000 will go towards the Wareham Housing Authority to help cover it's administrative costs.

Although the grant was awarded to Wareham on July 26, Sanborn said it will be two to three months before the town can actually begin spending the money awarded to them.

Selectmen must sign a contract for the grant with the state, and according to Sanborn that process could take anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete.

After the contract is approved, Wareham will be able to draw from the grant in increments to fund the projects listed above.

"It's not a lump sum of money," Sanborn said. "So we'll be using it as we need it."