The Natchez Housing Authority will be able to do even more for its residents in the coming months, thanks to three grants it received recently.

The NHA, a nonprofit organization that provides low-cost housing, received a total of $444,460 through federal Housing and Urban Development.

On two of the three grants, the NHA was the only organization in Mississippi to receive the funds. The third was handed out to only a select few programs in the state.

“It’s very competitive,” Program Coordinator Bridgett Pollard said. “I thought all the money was going to be going to the coast for a while (because of the hurricane damage), but we were blessed to receive this amount of money.”

One of the grants, $250,000, will go toward helping elderly and disabled residents of the 296 units of the NHA properties.

“It will be used for supportive services,” Pollard said. “We will actually have a nurse check blood pressure, diabetes and make sure there are no infections,” Pollard said. “(Residents) will be taught about nutrition and transported to doctors.”

The second grant, worth $150,000, is intended to improve and re-open the NHA’s computer center for the residents.

“The Neighborhood Network program actually allows residents to come in and get computer training so they can become more self-sufficient,” Pollard said. “It allows us to have a teacher prepare them for job readiness with programs like GEDs.”

A $44,460 Family Self Sufficiency grant was also awarded to NHA.

“It allows us to work with every family on an individual basis what whatever they may need,” Pollard said.