The purpose of this Report Card is to provide current information about some of the most vulnerable individuals in the community: those who are homeless and at risk of homelessness due to low income and lack of supports to maintain housing. It also highlights multi-year trends and the extent to which demand is increasing while funding for support services is stagnant, decreasing or disappearing.

This Report Card is divided into six sections, as follows:
1. Context
2. Trends
3. Demographics
4. Employment and Income
5. Mental Health and Addictions
6. Summary

Data sources include Statistics Canada, BC Stats, BC Housing, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) George Penfold, the Regional Innovation Chair for Rural Economic Development at Selkirk College, and statistics gathered from the following agencies: Stepping Stones Emergency Shelter, Nelson Food Cupboard (the food bank), the Salvation Army, and Our Daily Bread (the soup kitchen operated by Kootenay Christian Fellowship).