Helped my friend apply for government housing?

It doesn't matter what someone's arrest record is, it's their record of charges for which they were convicted. Being convicted and being arrested are two different things. So if her conviction record is clean, she shouldn't have any problems. Even if she isn't clean in that respect, I don't think she would be exempt from public aid. And if she can't provide for herself, maybe she shouldn't have spread her legs and brought kids into the equation. Where's the father (or fathers) of her kids? They should be paying her child support to help pay the bills. Sounds like she needs to get her life in order.