De schatting is dat tijdens de kerst 80.000 Britse kinderen dakloos zullen wakker worden. ( 24dash.com)

80,000 British children to wake up homeless this Christmas Day


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Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government




shelter shelter

Over 80,000 British children will wake up homeless this Christmas Day, housing charity Shelter Scotland has warned.

The charity is highlighting the shocking figures to launch a new campaign to raise awareness of the plight of homeless households.

With 4,847 children expected to spend Christmas in a state of homelessness in Scotland, the charity is calling on the Scottish government to adopt guidelines on minimum standards of temporary accommodation and give families the legal right to challenge the "appalling conditions they are often forced to live in".

Last December, Shelter Scotland helped more than 1,000 people at risk of becoming homeless over the festive period.

In June this year, there were 10,471 households in temporary accommodation across Scotland with 155,100 families and individuals on council waiting lists.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “It’s a badge of shame that 4,847 children in Scotland will spend this Christmas living in temporary accommodation – some in hostels. With no agreed standards for the quality of accommodation they are sent to, many end up in cold, damp, dangerous and completely unsuitable properties – risking their long-term health and wellbeing.

"We’re asking the Scottish government to commit to a set of guidelines for standards in temporary accommodation and to change the law so families can challenge the appalling conditions they are often forced to live in. That way, we can ensure that in future no child wakes up on Christmas morning or any other morning in such terrible circumstances.

“We are asking everyone in Scotland to join our campaign by sending an e-Christmas card to the first minister Alex Salmond to say they support our call to help children and families living in temporary accommodation at Christmas and throughout the year.”

Data from Shelter Scotland’s helpline and advice services shows that the main causes of homelessness include relationship breakdowns and job and income losses leading to eviction or home repossession.

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