The non cash benefits do have a monetary value- food stamps for example are a value but you don't actually get cash. There is public housing but the waiting lists can be decades long.
I personally think that it should be cash and you have to be responsible and use it wisely. The whole paternalistic thing seems hokey to me.
There are food pantries and other options but the lines are always longer than the supply.
Affordable housing could be a good start. Food distribution centers where the prices are regulated - free healthcare and education would be another big plus.
There's plenty that could be done and we have the money to do it. Just have to allocate tax dollars toward people and not bombs.

"The liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them."
Lenny Bruce

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month."
Dostoevsky