Gov. David A. Paterson announced nearly $4.1 million for north country housing rehabilitation and community development Wednesday.

Along with Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, eight municipalities will receive funding through the state Community Development Block Grant program.

Statewide, the $42 million approved by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal is set to create more than 400 jobs and renovate 1,000 housing units, the governor's office said.

"These grants will create jobs and revitalize urban business districts, and they will help rural communities make critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades," Gov. Paterson said in a statement. "These grants bring us closer to our goal of making New York the best possible place to live, work and raise a family."

The city of Watertown, the towns of Edwards and Morristown and the villages of Carthage, Gouverneur, Massena, Potsdam and Norwood all received grants.

"I'm delighted. I'm just tickled to death. I know the village board will be happy and residents looking for nice apartments will be happy," Gouverneur Mayor Dorothy L. Vorce said. "We love to have lots of nice young families in the village. There's always a need for affordable housing, and we're glad we're going to be able to provide some."

Both Gouverneur and Watertown officials plan to use their $400,000 grants to rehabilitate and construct apartment space in downtown commercial buildings.

"It helps rehabilitate downtown and provides some housing. It's a 'kill two birds with one stone' kind of thing," Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham said. "It helps downtown by making some buildings more economically viable. When you can only rent the first floor in a three-story building, turning the upper floors into some rent helps."

The village of Carthage was rejected for its CDBG grant last year, and decided to reapply this year. Its $400,000 will go toward renovating 19 housing units, including single-family homes and multi-family rental dwellings.

"I'm delighted and happy that we're getting a grant to this effect to improve the village of Carthage," Carthage President G. Wayne McIlroy said. "I'm very delighted that we've gotten something like this to help our residents."

The village of Potsdam will use its $400,000 grant to support housing rehabilitation for 12 units and provide home maintenance training to 30 people. As part of a multi-year program, the funding will also support a temporary code enforcement officer, who will help bring buildings into compliance with state property maintenance requirements.

"We're focusing on 60 units that appear from the street to be in violation," said Frederick J. Hanss, Potsdam's planning and development director. "Examples of that would be inadequate windows and doors, deteriorated porches and entry steps, deteriorating roofing and siding and old electrical wiring."

Norwood officials plan to rehabilitate 14 substandard units.

"In a small village like Norwood, you can imagine this will go a long ways and help a lot of families," Mayor James H. McFaddin said. "When Norwood residents wake up in the morning they will be happy to hear that we have $400,000 from the state to improve housing in our small village."

The CDBG program provides grants to smaller communities in the hopes of creating jobs, expanding business opportunities and ensuring decent, affordable housing.

Other grants include:

■ $750,000 to St. Lawrence County to provide homeownership assistance to 33 low- to moderate-income families.

■ $500,000 to Jefferson County to create a communitywide housing rehabilitation program that would renovate 22 severely substandard owner-occupied units.

■ $400,000 to the town of Edwards to rehabilitate 12 owner-occupied units.

■ $400,000 to the town of Morristown to rehabilitate 12 units in the Brier Hill area.

■ $398,000 to the village of Massena to create the Northeast Housing Rehabilitation Program, which would renovate 16 substandard units in conjunction with street repairs and the establishment of an Aluminum History Trail in the neighborhood.