Understanding Recovery Capital and Transitions Out of Recovery Homes: Socio-Demographic Factors and Reported Reasons for Departure

Background Recovery housing (RH) is crucial for sustaining long-term recovery and can aid in developing recovery capital. However, there is a lack of integrated research on socio-demographic variation in recovery capital among RH residents and reasons for RH departures across perspectives. This study examined socio-demographic predictors of recovery capital among RH residents and explored reasons for departure from resident and staff perspectives.Methods This study analyzed programmatic data from a national RH rental stipend program. Intake application data (n = 2021) included the Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) were analyzed using multiple regression. The Consensual Qualitative Research Modified (CQR-M) method analyzed open-ended survey data (n = 822) about residents’ departure from 30- and 60-day resident and staff engagement surveys.Results Quantitative analyses revealed that socio-demographic characteristics were largely unrelated to recovery capital among residents entering RH at intake. Qualitative analyses revealed that residents leave RHs for a range of reasons that include both recovery-related factors (e.g., relapse or program completion) and structural or environmental factors (e.g., housing conditions, interpersonal conflict, and financial barriers).Conclusion Together, these findings highlight the complexity of recovery trajectories and underscore the importance of both individual recovery processes and environmental conditions within RH settings to support sustained recovery.