AbstractIn this study, homeless men and nonhomeless men who are having difficulty maintaining permanent housing and economic stability are compared with respect to their established social networks and their use of such networks. The study also identifies family background factors that relate to differential network utilization. Significant differences were found indicating that the homeless had smaller social networks than did controls and used them less. Relationships were also found between family history variables and network utilization. These results inform attempts at primary prevention in individuals at risk for homelessness and suggest needed interventions for the homeless.