poverty-stricken household
An uncommon, somewhat literary term for a household in extreme poverty. Not used in everyday conversation; more common words are 貧乏所帯 or 貧しい家庭.
He was born into a poverty-stricken household and struggled from a young age, they say.
The standard modern phrase for a poor family or household. 乾所帯 is an uncommon synonym.
The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 乾 means 'dry' and 所帯 means 'household', suggesting a household that is 'dried up' or lacking resources, but this is a conventional association rather than a confirmed historical origin.