Outraged residents of an Adelaide suburb have demanded their council clean up a house filled with items so accumulated that the owner cannot even live in it.
Residents say shocking hoarding around their home in the city’s south is putting their safety at risk and something needs to be done quickly.
Next door neighbor Ray Lovell said he’s worried about the chances of a fire starting, with all the trash piled so high.
‘If there is a fire in that house, how are you going to fight it? If the house next door catches fire, who is to blame? he said 7news.
The owner lives in a caravan in front of his property because the house has become uninhabitable due to extreme hoarding.
Outraged neighbors in an Adelaide suburb have demanded their council clean up a house so cluttered with items (pictured) that the owner can’t even live in it.
The house was cleaned last year, but trash soon began piling up again, locals said.
The head of the family said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after her brother was murdered in 2010.
Hoarding is considered a mental health illness that requires specialist intervention and support.
Angela Esnouf, of a company called Hoarding Home Solutions, trains people to help those who are compulsive hoarders.
Holding on to an excessive number of items increases the risk of fire, bacteria, mold, and rodent and insect infestations, he said.
Onkaparinga City Council said it has spent a lot of time trying to help the owner, but without lasting success.
They have now given him until the end of June to clean up the property.
“Once the notification deadline has passed, the council will inspect the land to determine whether it has been complied with,” a council spokesperson said.
“If the matter is not resolved, we will undertake the necessary work, as we did in May 2023.”
Esnouf said without proper support for the hoarder, talking about the items they have accumulated can be very distressing.
“It creates another layer of mistrust, another trauma that someone must try to overcome. It will never be a positive experience,” she stated.
Hoarding is often linked to anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses, Esnouf added.
“Some people want to create a little nest for themselves (to) keep them barricaded inside their house, it could have been a result of some trauma for them… they want to feel safe,” he said.
Residents say the shocking billboards (pictured) around the house are putting their safety at risk and something needs to be done quickly.
“It might make them feel like they’re contributing to society because they’re saving things from the landfill.”
He said the owner will need support if the council removes the accumulated items, because they don’t understand the difference between rubbish and something valuable.
“You have to be very, very specific in laying out what to expect (from them) and following up with a lot of support to be able to make that happen,” Ms. Esnouf said.
“The best cases are when there is a slow and steady process of change where you help them declutter and then incorporate skills, habits and routines to help them live in a more functional way.”