Gendered effects of social support on housing stability post-incarceration

The United States has witnessed a dramatic rise in incarceration rates over the past several decades, resulting in an increasing number of individuals reentering society each year. This study uses Wave 2 data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) to examine how different forms of social support peer instrumental, familial instrumental, and familial emotional impact housing stability within the first three months post-release, a critical period for reintegration. A sample of 1,122 formerly incarcerated individuals was analyzed using logistic regression to explore these relationships and whether gender moderates the effects. Findings reveal that peer instrumental support significantly predicts housing stability, but in a gendered manner that is it improves housing outcomes for men but worsens them for women. Neither familial instrumental support nor familial emotional support showed statistically significant effects on housing stability, nor were these relationships moderated by gender. The study highlights the importance of gender-sensitive approaches in reentry programming, particularly in leveraging social support networks to improve housing outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals. Policy recommendations include the development of gender-responsive reentry programs and the expansion of support services tailored to the unique needs of women.