Residents in Adelaide’s south are urging their local council to clean up mountains of hoarded items at a home they say is putting public safety at risk.
Ray Lovell lives next door to the home and is worried about the risk of a fire.
“If there’s a fire in that house, how are they going to fight it?” he asked.
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“If the house next door catches fire, who is to blame?”
The homeowner has been forced to live in a caravan at the front of the property because the home has become uninhabitable.
Neighbours said the property was cleaned last year, but it wasn’t long before junk started to pile up again.
Hoarding is considered a mental health illness that requires specialist support.
The homeowner said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the murder of her brother in 2010.
Hoarding Home Solutions partner Angela Esnouf trains people to help others who are compulsive hoarders.
She said excessive items increased the risk of fire, bacteria and mould, rodent and insect infestations.
The City of Onkaparinga said it’s invested “significant” time and effort to assist the homeowner, with no success.
It has issued her a cleanup notice, giving her until the end of June to improve the condition of the property.
“Once the deadline of the notice has passed, the council will inspect the land to determine if compliance has been forthcoming,” a spokesperson said
“Should the matter not be resolved, we will undertake the required works, as we did in May 2023.”
Without adequate support, removing the items collected can be distressing for a person, Esnouf said.
“It builds another layer of distrust, another trauma for somebody to try to get over. It’s never going to be a positive experience,” she said.
Why cleaning up not is that easy
Esnouf said hoarding can be associated with anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses.
“Some people want to create a little nest for themselves (to) keep them barricaded inside their home, it might have been the result of some trauma to them … that they want to make themselves feel safe,” she said.
“It may make them feel like they’re contributing to society because they’re rescuing things from landfill.”
Esnouf urged local councils to manage the safety risks for neighbours while supporting the person with hoarding tendencies.
She said the person will likely need support while cleaning because they can’t distinguish between junk and a valuable item.
“You have to be really, really specific in laying out what to expect (from the person) and following up with lots of support to be able to make that happen,” Esnouf said.
“The best cases are when there’s a slow and steady change process going on where you’re helping them to declutter, then you’re bringing in skills, habits and routines to help them live in a more functional way,” she said.
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
For further information about depression, contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.