The Nelson Committee on Homelessness invites the community to the release its 10th annual Report Card on Homelessness, which features the findings from Nelson’s Point-in-Time Homeless Count in April.
The report will be made public Tuesday, June 26, in the Adventure Hotel’s ballroom from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The entrance can be accessed off the side of the back parking lot at the building on 616 Vernon St.
This year’s report will highlight findings from Nelson’s second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homeless Count and survey conducted over a 24-hour period on April 10 and 11. Sixty-five volunteers hit the streets, shelters and service locations around Nelson to gather information about the extent and nature of homelessness in Nelson, hear about people’s situations, discover what barriers they faced in securing safe, permanent housing and record what they thought could best help them.
The count was part of a co-ordinated effort by communities across Canada from January to April to measure homelessness in their communities, as part of the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. An emphasis of this PiT count was to identifying youth who were homeless and at-risk, including those experiencing hidden homelessness. This took place over a longer period of time in co-operation with Nelson Community Youth Services, the Nelson and District Youth Centre and the Selkirk Students’ Union.
The report card will also provide updated information on community indicators and trends effecting homeless people and those living in poverty in Nelson. The successes and achievements of NCOH members and community partners over the last year to address homelessness and poverty in our community are also featured.
A short power-point presentation at the event will highlight some of this information. The public is invited to participate in questions and discussion of the issues, which will have a focus on youth homelessness and housing precariousness, coming out of the PiT Count. A panel of youth and homelessness service staff will offer perspective on the PiT count and report card findings.