One in four people believe they are just one pay cheque away from losing the roof over their heads, a survey has found.
Homelessness charity Shelter Scotland said 26% would struggle to continue paying their mortgage or rent for more than a month if they happened to lose their job next year.
Just over one-half (56%) of households would only be able to pay for their home for a maximum of three months.
As the rising cost of living and "severe" cuts to welfare benefits take effect, a lack of savings and the eroding housing safety net is putting more people at greater risk of home repossession and eviction.
According to the charity, at least 5300 children in Scotland will be homeless this Christmas, often living in poor-quality, damp and dangerous temporary accommodation.
Director Graeme Brown said funding for its services is also being cut at a time when the number of people seeking advice about home repossession was soaring.
"These new figures show just how close to the edge many thousands of Scotland's households are, with little or no chance of things getting better any time soon," he said.
"Scotland needs to build more affordable homes to ensure thousands of families and individuals are not left out in the cold. It's time to end Scotland's housing crisis for good."
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