By that I mean secure accomodation (not large, but comfortable), food and transport.
But I don't think it's fair to expect it to support a family or a solo apartment.
Because a lot of minimum wage workers do live with mom and dad or live in a bunch of buddies. Artificially increasing their salaries hurts families who have to pay more for products and services.
That is something that occurred in the early days of industrialization, and still occurs in factory towns in newly industrializing economies, but not in the contemporary US. Where everyone is expected to finance a car and a single-family detached house.
See also the recent HN discussion about trailer parks: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9592812
Barracks-style housing is just so much further than higher-density housing though. About the only time true barracks accommodations are built is for factories or similar institutions in specific circumstances.