[quaquaqua1]

In a perfect world, subsidies and welfare wouldn't exist because cost of living isn't artifically inflated by supply-favored laws. The reason college, houses, and health care are expensive are because of the laws preventing competition and increase of supply.

We don't live in a perfect world however, and I absolutely do not have the answer for what is the correct balance of subsidy and hard work.

[knightofmars]

As an addition, certain domains are also expensive because they are a natural monopoly and do not lend themselves to competition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_monopoly