About 630 severe hoarding cases on watch list as problem worsens; new group formed to help hoarders

SINGAPORE – The deadly consequences of hoarding were highlighted after a

fire in a Hougang flat killed three people

on Jan 9.

Neighbours had said the family living in the unit were hoarders.

The problem has worsened with more cases in recent years, and the authorities warn that the numbers may rise because of Singapore’s ageing population.

To tackle this, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Jan 21 announced the launch of a new group to better coordinate hoarding management efforts.

Called the New Environment Action Team (Neat), the group has 28 members from government agencies, community groups and private organisations that will help to identify cases early, so that issues can be tackled faster.

The members include counsellors, mental health experts, eldercare service professionals and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The group will also include a contractor and waste management associations that can help declutter and renovate homes.

There are 627 severe hoarding cases that have been put on a government watch list, monitored by the inter-agency Hoarding Management Core Group (HMCG).

Of these, 357 have been marked as complex and unresolved, involving uncooperative hoarders who refuse to grant access to the authorities for inspections or decluttering.

In the 270 other cases, improvement was made after efforts by the HMCG, which prioritises cases based on the threat to public health and safety.

MND and MSF said hoarding could be a symptom of mental health conditions, social isolation, trauma or deep grief, and can pose health and safety risks in severe cases.

And hoarders have been known to re-hoard, quickly amassing heaps of items again, taking them back to square one.

The ministries added that an ageing population may exacerbate the problem.

The HMCG was set up in 2014 and is led by the Municipal Services Office (MSO) under MND.

The group comprises the Housing Board, National Environment Agency (NEA), SCDF, MSF, People’s Association, Agency for Integrated Care and the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).

The number of complex and unresolved cases being dealt with by the HMCG has jumped significantly from the 253 such cases in December 2021, with front-line officers saying they are facing tensions on the ground.

MND and MSF said: “With changing demographics, including an ageing population, the number of hoarding cases may rise in Singapore.

“To address this effectively, a whole-of-society approach is needed to identify cases early and intervene upstream in a sustainable manner.”

Neat is co-chaired by Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua, while Minister for National Development Desmond Lee is the group’s adviser.

Mr Lee said: “Addressing hoarding in a holistic manner requires us to go beyond just decluttering and refreshing homes. We need to create a robust support system to shift behaviour, strengthen community support and prevent recurrence.”

He said this is not an easy task, and will require building trust with affected individuals and their families.

The HMCG considers community and social interventions alongside enforcement efforts, said MND and MSF.

If hoarders are suspected to have mental health issues, they will be referred for professional assessment and treatment.

The agencies under HMCG also work with healthcare workers, community partners and hoarders’ family members to try to resolve hoarding cases.

But in cases that threaten public health and safety, or involve criminal offences, the agencies will take enforcement action.

For example, NEA could order a home owner to remove items contributing to infestations in his home, and AVS could act against the hoarding of animals within a flat where animals are harmed.

In the Hougang blaze, firefighters rescued a cat, a bird and eight rabbits.

The bird later died.

Where the threshold for public health and safety risks has not been crossed, officers need to obtain the cooperation of the hoarder to agree to the decluttering process.

Neighbours can file a case at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals, which can order the hoarder to declutter his unit if the hoarding inconveniences them.

If the hoarder ignores the order, the new Community Relations Unit (CRU)

can obtain an order to forcibly declutter the residential unit.

Amendments to the Community Disputes Resolution Act were passed on Nov 12, 2024, paving the way for the formation of the CRU, giving it powers to enter a unit to dispose of hoarded material.

The CRU will start operations in Tampines from the second quarter of 2025, said MND and MSF.

The ministries added that forced decluttering by the CRU will be done only as a last resort, after all efforts from front-line agencies have been exhausted.

Ms Patricia Chia, the director for volunteer experience at welfare organisation Blossom World Society, said timely interventions are necessary as people are rightfully afraid for their safety when it comes to hoarding.

She said: “Implementing solutions may be stressful for the hoarder, but it is the only way to ensure the safety of the neighbours and the hoarders themselves.”

Since January 2024, MSO and MSF have been engaging Neat members, joining some of the community groups in their decluttering operations in Boon Lay, Buona Vista and Pasir Ris.

Aside from developing better coordination, Neat will also raise awareness of the hoarding situation in Singapore, said MND and MSF.