The next chunk of money to be released from the economic stimulus package will be $10 billion which will be distributed by the Housing and Urban Development Department for local governments to use on public and affordable housing improvements.

The initiative was announced by Vice President Joe Biden, at the first meeting of Cabinet members and officials in charge of implementing the recovery plan.

"Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking the first step to awarding $10 billion to state and local governments to fund and create jobs through projects making public housing more energy efficient, making improvements in affordable housing; and also, making sure that we actually begin to fund the lead-based paint removal program," Biden said. "All of which are going to not only increase the public health but--and energy efficiency--but they're going to create jobs."

"I am pleased to announce that we are moving swiftly to get these much-needed funds out to states and cities to create jobs and help stimulate our economy," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in a statement. "Recovery Act investments in HUD programs will be not just swift, but also effective: they will generate tens of thousands of jobs, help the families and communities hardest hit by the economic crisis, and modernize homes to make them energy efficient."

The benefits of the stimulus bill, which was signed into law on February 17, are beginning to be announced.

The president told the nation's governors that their states would be getting $15 billion to support Medicaid programs starting today.

Yesterday, the IRS released details on the tax relief most Americans will be seeing in their paychecks as of April 1.