Imagine if there were government stores where people could buy their supplies for cost. Oh wait, the military has them, they're called "Commissaries". If that were available for the general public... could have a significant impact on the poor. Not trying to compete with Safeway or Kroger, just making a point. Even if the products were pretty limited (paper products, diapers, basic food staples), it would have a BIG impact.

I'm also a big believer in Section 8 housing. My son lived in subsidized housing for several years, and his apartment was no different than the other residents', so there is no stigma. Housing Choice Vouchers Provide Essential Assistance in Every State. "Almost 90 percent of the 2.2 million households using vouchers are elderly, disabled, or families with children." The problem is the lack of available housing (and HUD budget limitations).
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“About 25 percent of those who qualify for Section 8 assistance receive it,” said Corianne Scally, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, a social and economic policy think thank. “The other 75 percent are wait-listed or don’t apply.”
Housing vouchers don't pay the rent. Another serious problem (which my son avoided) are unscrupulous landlords. Affordable-housing dreams become Section 8 nightmares. Wait, wasn't Donald Trump one of those?

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich