In most situations you just don't walk into a HUD home like that , there's months, yrs on a list trying to find something. While still trying to verify an address being homeless to even collect a food card. In any government system there is going to be abuse of said system. The people you know are lucky. Most are already in a dysfunctional single parent home. Many only wish they could pay their own way and further their education like yourself. Your statement is that stigma they face . I've been there , blocks of cheese powdered milk . Watching my mother kill herself at three jobs just to meet the reduced rent .The government wasn't paying our bills just giving us a break on the rent. We hated it. It was our dirty little secret. Empathy is a rare commodity these days . It's always what about me. Trust me it's no road you'd want to go down .

What were the controls? It looks like there were twice as many whites polled than black/Hispanic. Also being white with money in America is different than being a minority with money in America. You never see a white rich man being profiled on the news . The Same with being white and poor vs minority and poor. There's a social stigma against minorities whether we want to admit it or not, money may help pad that some bit it still exists. That's why socioeconomics is important not only the amount of money.

You also have to figure in socioeconomic standing as far as mental health goes. The strain of being government dependent or even just outside of qualifying for assistance has to weigh heavily on individuals raising children in an already lopsided system designed (imo) to keep minorities and lower class whites shackled into a financial servitude of sorts. You work , it's not even enough , you can't provide, you don't work you are given just enough to survive but not enough to improve your situation. Yes there are jobs out there, I know a guy that has to have his wife work just to pay his fuel costs. He's home she's working and vice versa. The erosion of the family unit is one of the major factors in mental health issues(also just my opinion).