The States and the Feds Make Finding Benefits Easier Than Ever

This fall, the state of Ohio decided to make searching for all its benefits for individuals more centralized.  Despite what you may have read from frauds and ignoramuses, "free money" and "grants" by the government are just benefits, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, plus other helpful stuff like child care for the working poor, heating assistance, job training, etc.  So if you need cash help with your life, you are in fact looking for "benefits." 

In Ohio, you need to start with the benefits page.  It directly links you to medicaid (which Ohio decided to expand in the last few months), but also heating assistance, employment, cash assistance, WIC, and unemployment insurance, and links to more types of assistance, too.  In New York state, the bennies page is mybenefits.  However, if your state does not have a one-stop shop for benefits of all kinds, try the federal benefit page, and the state-by-state benefit page set up for easy browsing. If you wish to search for benefits within your state, a good strategy might be to go to google and simply type: benefits (name of your state) and site:.gov.That last bit is important--it limits your search to ONLY sites with the .gov designation.

However, don't forget to check for community action agencies in your area.  These are nonprofit rather than government agencies. Often, states contract out benefits like job training and energy assistance to them, and the people working there are knowledgeable about programs that you could qualify for.  Find the community action agency that covers your area here.

Think Inside the Borders of Community Action Agencies. And Outside Them, Too.

I always compared the hunt for individual financial aid with chasing 10,000 rats down 100,000 ratholes. Something popped up recently to confirm this. I’ve written about community action agencies ( CAA’s) before, and the work they do in home ownership, repair, heating subsidies and so forth. But I always assumed that they provided services strictly within their boundaries. But WSOS, a northwest Ohio CAA that works in Wood, Ottawa, Seneca and Sandusky counties, also has some services in other areas. They have a low-cost loan program for child care centers that covers 10 counties, and a construction pre-apprenticeship program for displaced workers that covers 9 counties. I knew about the day care program, but didn’t know that the pre-apprenticeship program could help my library patrons in Toledo. The diseased ash removal program covers five counties. It goes on and on like this.


Let this be a lesson for all of us: when you are looking for financial help, nose around in institutions within whose boundaries you fall. But look at nearby CAAs, too. They may have received funding to help homeowners, or entrepreneurs, or renters outside their borders.

Support Your Local CDC--They May Support You

There's always talk about big government grants, and how the money creates programs in local areas for home owners and buyers, but talking about HUD, or the Department of Justice, without mentioning CDC's and CAA's is like talking about the circulatory system while only mentioning the heart, and dissing the blood vessels.

What are CDC's and CAA's? They are community development corporations and community action agencies, the direct conduits of federal aid to homeowners, home buyers, and sometimes, small businesses. When the feds want to aid city neighborhoods or rural areas, they often give grants to these agencies, and these agencies create programs that help city neighborhoods, counties, or multicounty areas. And they can help you, too, if you happen to live within the boundaries of these areas.

Community development corporations are private, nonprofit organizations that often have downpayment assistance programs for first-time home buyers, and loan (often) or grants (rarely) to repair or improve homes. They often offerthese with mandatory counseling programs that better prepare buyers to manage the new place. They may also offer small loans for businesses within their boundaries.

Community action agenies were created as part of the Great Society programs of the 1960s to directly aid the poor. They offer all sorts of help to low-income people within their jurisdictions; these may include weatherproofing, energy assistance, home buying downpayment assistance, home repair help, job training, individual development accounts, job training, business loans, programs for seniors, and more. Income levels to
qualify for programs may vary.

How do you find a CDC in your area? Check with the National Congress for Community Development's website for the state association of CDC's in your
area. Also, check with your city or county's Department of Development or Neighborhoods. For CAA's, check the national directory. Here's an important caveat: the money available depends on whether they have it at this particular time. Federal agencies often give money in a lump sum, and it lasts until...it runs out. When they can, the CDCs apply for more money, but if the appropriations don't come through, they can't come through for you. Always check with your local corporation for funding availability.