Handling Cases of Excessive Hoarding at Home

52 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has identified excessive hoarding at home as a social or mental health issue; and (b) whether there are assistance programmes to help change the behaviour of such dwellers, especially those living in HDB estates, and to improve their mental and environmental well-being.

Mr Desmond Lee: Hoarding is a behaviour characterised by excessive acquisition and persistent difficulty in discarding possessions. People hoard for a variety of reasons, which include social and mental health issues. Some may start off hoarding with the good intention of reusing and recycling, while others do it because of loneliness and the need to feel engaged by something they consider meaningful. Hoarders often lack insight into the consequences of their hoarding and may not seek help on their own.

As the underlying motivation for hoarding and context vary from case to case, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, the Municipal Services Office has worked with relevant agencies to develop the Hoarding Management Framework, which guides officers across agencies in providing coordinated support to address the hoarding issue. Much time and effort are spent on each hoarding case to diagnose the root cause, intervene, monitor and try to ensure progress. If the hoarder is assessed to have mental health issues based on a set of established criteria, the hoarder will be referred to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for professional assessment and treatment.

At the first instance, to ensure residents’ safety and well-being, HDB will advise the hoarder to remove excess items and keep his or her flat tidy. For severe cases which pose a risk or dis-amenities to neighbours, HDB will also work with regulatory agencies, such as SCDF for fire hazards and NEA for public health, to declutter the flat and corridor for the safety of residents. Community volunteers may also be involved in the decluttering.

Hoarders often experience distress when asked to declutter and hoarding behaviour may also recur. HDB works closely with family members, MSF and community partners, such as social workers from Social Service Agencies and AIC, to provide counselling and support during and after decluttering.

If family members wish to raise the topic with a hoarder, IMH suggests that the family members should be gentle in their approach and try to understand the intent and meaning behind the hoarding behaviour. The hoarder will be more receptive to a soft approach built upon one’s relationship with him or her. However, if the hoarding behaviour worsens or causes public health and safety concerns, family members and residents may report such cases through the OneService App.

The process to fully resolve a hoarding issue can be long-drawn and is highly dependent on the hoarder’s willingness and ability to change his or her behaviour. Therefore, we will need strong support from the hoarder’s family and community. In many of the successful interventions, family members and neighbours have worked closely with agencies and grassroots leaders to encourage and assist the hoarders such that their behaviour does not recur.