The U.S. Department of Treasury's Community DevelopmentFinancial Institutions Fund has awarded $172 million in Financialand Technical Assistance awards to 191 organizations including 35credit unions.

The awards for credit unions ranged from $46,272 to $1,347,000.A $3 million grant was also awarded to one credit union through theHealthy Food Financing Initiative.

The ASI Federal Credit Union, Electro Savings Credit Union, HopeFederal Credit Union, Latino Community Credit Union, Self-HelpFederal Credit Union, First Light Federal Credit Union, GTE FederalCredit Union, Opportunities Credit Union, Shreveport Federal CreditUnion each received a $1,347,000 award as part of the fiscal year2013 CDFI program.

The CDFI Fund awarded 23 credit unions last year and 27 in 2011.

The awards “will enable Community Development FinancialInstitutions across the country to increase their lending andinvestments in low-income and economically distressed communities,”said a Community Development Financial Institutions Fund pressrelease issued on Tuesday.

The Self-Help Federal Credit Union also received an additional$3 million grant under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

“The awardees under this initiative will expand their lending tohealthy food investments to combat food deserts. Eligible usescover a range of interventions such as grocery stores, mobile foodretailers, farmers markets, cooperatives, corner stores, andbodegas,” according to the CDFI Fund.

CDFI Fund Director Donna Gambrell said the CDFI Program providedmore awards in the fiscal year 2013 round than any other round inthe fund's history.

“By expanding the reach and impact of this program to moreorganizations, the CDFI Fund is supporting more economicdevelopment efforts than ever before to bring new life tostruggling communities,” Gambrell said.