HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The state of Connecticut's Department of Housing is awarding 20 municipalities a total of $11.5 million to upgrade and improving affordable housing stock.

The grants are being awarded to small towns with populations of less than 50,000 residents, under the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities program. The initiative is administered by the state housing agency using federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Grant recipients include the towns of Brookfield, New Fairfield and Monroe.  Each will receive $400,000 to help low- and moderate-income homeowners fix up their homes. A total of 10 homes in each municipality are expected to be rehabilitated.