Just a guess, but a hypothesis might be that people who are unable to provide food/shelter/necessities for themselves through legal channels, will be more likel

Just a guess, but a hypothesis might be that people who are unable to provide food/shelter/necessities for themselves through legal channels, will be more likely to use illegal channels if an adequate welfare system is not in place. I think this hypothesis has sociological and psychological merit, and I'm sure its been tested before, though I don't know of any studies off-hand.