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 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 hit home, a lack of savings and the eroding housing safety net is putting more people at greater risk of being repossessed and evicted.
According to the charity, at least 5,300 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 is 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.
"Our worry is that with the economy continuing to struggle and families facing welfare cuts, that number could be much higher next year.
"To restore its housing safety net Scotland needs to build more affordable homes to ensure that thousands of families and individuals who fall on hard times are not left out in the cold. It's time to end Scotland's housing crisis for good."
The survey of 619 adults was carried out online between December 11 and 13.
