January 12, 2026
The City of Nelson has launched a new Housing Dashboard that provides a centralized, accessible, and reliable source of information about the city’s housing market. The Housing Dashboard looks at the period from 2020 to 2025 and offers a picture of the current housing market, trends and progress towards key housing goals identified in Nelson’s most recent Housing Needs Assessment and Official Community Plan.
In 2020, the City and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) released Nelson’s first Housing Needs Report in response to new provincial legislation and growing housing pressures. Like many Canadian communities, Nelson has been experiencing rising housing costs and increasing demand for homes.
Housing Needs Assessments use census data and input from the housing sector to identify gaps in the local housing supply. Under the Local Government Act, these reports must be updated every five years. Because the housing market is constantly changing—and new data and provincial requirements are now in place—the City commissioned an updated Housing Needs Report in 2024.
The 2024 report confirms that:
- Nelson’s population is growing and changing
- Housing costs continue to rise for renters and homeowners
- Housing need is significant and likely underestimated
- The housing market has been slow to respond
- Demand is expected to grow over the next 20 years
- About 3,104 new homes will be needed across different housing types over the next two decades
This initial version of the Housing Dashboard will be updated and evolve over time as information becomes available. Staff have started with a limited set of data to ensure reliable information is provided to the public.
To learn more, explore the Housing Dashboard and read the 2020 and 2024 housing needs reports at: nelson.ca/715/Housing-Needs-Affordable-Housing