Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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February – March 2024 : The little things READ ONLINE

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Scotland's homeless children

Five kids face the threat of homelessness every day because of eviction Five children a day in Scotland face the threat of homelessness because of eviction, according to a report published by Shelter Scotland. Around 2,000 children were threatened with homelessness as result of eviction in 2007-8, at an estimated cost of £11m. These staggering figures have raised concern for Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, he said "It is vital alternatives to eviction are sought and it needs to be recognised that eviction is not the best way to recover rent. Eviction wrecks lives, leaving families and children without a home and causing severe distress. "Families who fall into arrears, more often than not, are struggling with the harsh reality of living in poverty." Further concerns over these figures rising in light of our current economic climate have also been brought to the forefront. Brown added "As the full force of the recession takes hold, more families will be at risk of eviction, not just repossession." The report challenges how wise it is to evict families, in view of the traumatic distress that it causes to all concerned. It is calling for a "checklist" to be developed so all possible alternatives to eviction can be explored which can be used when legal action against tenants is being considered. The charity is additionally hitting classrooms in an effort to bring awareness about the growing problem to children. A specially designed classroom kit has recently been introduced to help teach young pupils important lessons about housing and homelessness. It involves an interactive programme designed for teachers to use in the classroom to inform children in an exciting and interesting way about the complex issues of homelessness. Graeme Brown said "The classroom kit is a fantastic way to educate children in an informative way about aspects of bad housing and also encourage a younger age group to get involved and help support the work Shelter Scotland does to end bad housing for the next generation of children."
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