“Now I Have My Own Key”: The Impact of Housing Stability on Recovery and Recidivism Reduction Using a Recovery Capital Framework

Abstract

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020) reported 85% of the U.S. prison population had a substance use disorder (SUD) or was incarcerated for drug-use crimes. Applying Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, Substance Use Program funds, the Palm Beach County Office of Behavioral Health, and SUDs developed a comprehensive person-centered, recovery-oriented approach. This mixed-methods study (N= 36) examined how social capital, housing stability, and recovery-oriented care impacted personal capital, rearrest, and housing stability in criminal-justice-involved individuals with SUDs. Of the 36 participants, 86% (n= 31) did not have a rearrest, and 70% of participants were then employed shortly after their Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant Substance Use Program enrollment. Three major themes emerged from the interviews (n= 8): beginning recovery, peer navigation, and housing stability. This study demonstrates that housing stability, peer-support specialists, and care coordination are vital to increase recovery capital, aiding recovery, and reducing recidivism.