My grandparents are dead so I can’t ask them, but from what I know about local history (NYC history), the government did not provide anything in the way of social service programs. Social services were provided by community groups and religious groups. Catholic homes for unwed mothers,Catholic orphanages, Italian American societies like Knights of Columbus, Jewish community centers, Irish/Gaelic societies (and then the Irish moved into government, police work, labor unions. These groups all helped other immigrants find housing and jobs and things like that.