It’s one of the original “E-government” initiatives, and it has now reached its “Sweet 16” milestone. We’re talking about the website Benefits.gov, the “official benefits website of the U.S. government” launched in 2002 with a mission “to increase citizen access to benefit information, while reducing the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government.”
This may sound like a lofty goal, especially given the website’s design calling for cross-agency collaboration with 16 of the federal government’s largest information repositories, from Housing and Urban Development to Social Security Administration. But it seems to be working, since a new high watermark for site visitors was reached earlier this year…1.4 site users in a single month. The initiative has also garnered numerous awards through the years for excellence—almost four dozen major commendations—in “providing citizens in need with easy, online access to government benefit information.”
So, if you’re looking for guidance on healthcare, retirement, education, housing, or an extensive list of support services available to the general public, Benefits.gov would be a good place to start your search. Learn more about this valuable service by checking out their website, and then search to your heart’s content!
I am 67 years old. Checking into housing after my lease is up in April 2019, I am finding out that housing such as Condos/Townhouses mortgage, combined with taxes PMI, housing insurance, HOAs, etc., would be about the same as renting one bed apartments around $700. With my combined yearly income around $32,000, I am looking for advice for housing that would be consistent part of my much for the next 5 to 10 years, and it looks like a loan for example, around $80,000, with at least $1000 down, would give me a consistent housing monthly payment (credit score is between 660 and 701).
David:
While we are not staffed or accredited to provide the type of advice you’re seeking on housing and mortgage options, we are happy to refer you to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) site that provides information on “home ownership and home buying assistance programs,” and that is supported by a state directory of program information available to the public. Check out this page on the HUD website. It might help answer your questions.
Thanks for contacting us!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation