What do THEY do?
welfare is not the way.
artificially higher wages is a form of welfare too
Do you want to go back to the CCC, NRA, New Deal make-work programs? Many of those people could start a small business, sell, farm a small plot of land with high-revenue plants and animals, learn a simple trade (locksmithing, small engine repair, etc.) enroll in Job Corps or go into the military to learn a skill.
What do we do?
First, start unwinding the policies and laws that have driven up the cost of living. The issue is at least partly the zoning laws that allow rich liberals to continue living in their insulated neighborhoods while keeping the poor, poor so they vote demonratic
Second, some of these people may need to move to other locations where the cost of living is lower. This would lower the cost of living in large cities by reducing the pressure on the housing supply. It would also help to break up the ghetto mentality that re-enforces cycles of low income behavior
Third, find a democrat and punch their lights outs. This is their fault. Just because it feels so good
Four, part of the first point would allow some manufacturing jobs to to return. Incentives could be given to companies to build in the US. This would not be an immediate help and would take time
Fifth; break the unions. At least brake the ones that rather than working to better the company and setting realistic wage and working goals insist upon an overtly confrontational us versus them approach. But remove all union pension benefits and place them in a single Federal Agency where they cannot be siphoned off for mob activities or democratic campaign contributions
Just my thoughts
How to run a crew, how to schedule diverse personalities, how to handle the cash, and how to budget, order, and plan with an aim of making the joint successful and you gain skills that ANYONE can sell.
These folks don't have to be Mensa members, nor do they have to be in the 100+ range of IQ. They first have to have gained these skills, and they have to be willing to show up every workday ready to do the work. Because this is work that needs to be done, whether it's for a fast food joint, or running a phone store, or sell tires, or any of a hundred other jobs that need to get done every single day. And these jobs DO pay more than minimum wage.
Slavery. It is was welfare was designed to do, prepare and create the new slave class. A new slave class with the mentality and capability to do only the meanest and basest of society's chores, existing at the largess of the upper classes of society. A large number of science fiction novels over the last century have explored this historical destination.
Part of the problem is that Americans feel these types of jobs are beneath them. So they turn to welfare and/or crime and the illegals gladly take their low-skill jobs.
The world needs ditch diggers too son...