I remember living in an affluent suburb (in the top 20 income wise in the country) when I first graduated. There were section 8 folks peppered throughout the condos we lived in. We got to know a number of them personally. To get all of the benefits, they were required to follow a low probability of success lifestyle, such as refusing to work and having children out of wedlock.
We knew one young woman who had an affair with an older man, got pregnant, then moved out of moms house into a hotel. She then called up the gov't and went right to the top of their list (pregnant single woman with no means of support and no skills, and in temporary housing). The next week, she was living in a nicer condo than I could afford. She had free housing, food, medical, and legal.
We visited the old neighborhood a few years after we left and there were open air drug markets.
We knew one young woman who had an affair with an older man, got pregnant, then moved out of moms house into a hotel. She then called up the gov't and went right to the top of their list (pregnant single woman with no means of support and no skills, and in temporary housing). The next week, she was living in a nicer condo than I could afford. She had free housing, food, medical, and legal.
We visited the old neighborhood a few years after we left and there were open air drug markets.
I think a negative income tax would be a much better approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtpgkX588nM