Where do you live? Most people I know are literally given homes to live in by the government. Admittedly I'm a working class guy in the UK and I'm not that familiar with the US welfare system so perhaps its quite different there. But for example, my girlfriend's mum has never worked a day in her life but lives in a £600,000 5 bed house. When she went to the job centre last year she was advised not to take part time work because she'd lose out on the benefits.
If these people were starving or homeless, don't you think they would get a job? Today we have a generation of people who have parents rich enough to let them live in their homes rent-free without demanding they get a job while the government is there for you if you decide not to. Is it any surprise some people decide a 9-5 isn't for them?
To your point though, I do accept it's harder to own your own home, but it's certainly not harder to live without a job today. At least not here in the UK.