As hard as it is for an individual leaving prison or jail to find housing initially, maintaining a stable residence after release may be just as hard. Housing can be endangered by changes or setbacks in employment, family situation, health, entitlement or benefits, or any of a range of other factors in an individual's reintegration. Community corrections officers should work with community-based organizations not just to place individuals in housing, but also to stay informed about the housing situations of people that they supervise and the factors that affect the stability of that housing. For instance, community corrections officers should alert community-based providers if they become aware that a parolee or probationer is in financial trouble and may need assistance with rent payments or some other emergency plan to avoid eviction. Similarly, parole and probation officers can enlist the aid of community-based providers to ensure that individuals released from prison or jail obtain whatever benefits they are entitled to receive. Finally, when the root of a housing problem is something other than the housing itself-such as a family dispute that may lead to a probationer or parolee being expelled from his or her family's home-supervision officers should assist the individual at risk of losing his or her housing with access to other community resources to address the issue.

Increased coordination between corrections and community services will also serve to educate corrections administrators about the capacity and limitations of the housing system. This education can form the foundation for partnerships to encourage the development of needed housing options in communities to which individuals will frequently return after jail or prison. (See Policy Statement 30, Housing Systems, for further discussion of basic issues related to low-income housing availability).