The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday it was providing the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe with nearly $17,000 in Indian Housing Block Grants to help the tribe respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding is part of $200 million being awarded nationally to help tribes and tribally designated housing entities carry out affordable housing activities, according to a HUD news release.

"This funding will aid the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in their fight against COVID-19," said David Tille, HUD's New England regional administrator.

"When President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act into law, he wanted to ensure that American Indian tribes received the assistance they needed to combat the coronavirus," HUD Secretary Ben Carson said. "HUD remains committed to providing tribes with the tools they need during this national emergency to create safe, affordable housing opportunities for their communities."

Indian Housing Block Grants primarily benefit low-income American Indian families. Grant amounts are based on a formula that considers local needs and the number of housing units under management by a tribe or a tribally designated housing entity.