Concerned about hoarding or excessive clutter?

You do not have to know whether someone has hoarding disorder before asking for help.

Hoarding and excessive clutter can affect individuals, families, housing stability, health, safey, relationships, and the ability to use a home as intended. The right response depends on the person, the home, the level of risk, and what kind of help is needed. The Capital Area Hoarding Consortium connects Central Texas residents, families, professionals, and community organizations with information and resources for responding to hoarding and excessive clutter. 

I am concerned about myself

Are possessions becoming difficult to manage?

You may be noticing that:

• Rooms or important areas of your home are becoming difficult to use

• Letting go of possessions causes overwhelm or "shutting down"

• You are acquiring more than you can comfortable manage

• Organizing or making decisions about possessions feels overwhelming

• You avoid having people enter your home

• Clutter is beginning to affect your health, safety, relationships, housing, or daily life

Hoarding can be extremely difficult for family members and friends

You may feel frightened, angry, exhausted, or unsure about what to do. Attempts to force someone to throw away or give away their stuff or clear a home without their participation can damage trust and may not address the underlying problem. In fact, many times it can make things significantly worse. 

A more effective starting point is often understanding the person's concerns, identifying immediate health and safety risks, and learning approaches that support gradual change.

You may encounter hoarding through your work in:

• Housing or property management

• Social work or case management

• Healthcare or behavioral health

• Aging services

• Public safety

• Code Compliance

• Animal Welfare

• Community-based services

Hoarding situations often involve overlapping clinical, environmental, housing, legal, and social concerns. No single professional can address every aspect of a complex case. 

CAHC promotes coordinated, respectful, multi-disciplinary responses.