Hoarding support group launched in Wirral as fire risks rise
6 reported
A peer support group for people who hoard is meeting fortnightly in Wirral, Merseyside, run by Prima Group housing association. Participants say they fear eviction if they seek help, leaving them without basic utilities like hot water and heating. A Guardian investigation reports that UK fire services recorded a 78% increase in fires involving hoarding since 2020. In London alone, more than 2,000 properties were flagged by the fire service last year due to hoarding, up from 1,200 four years earlier. Hoarding was formally classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization in 2018. Prima Group has launched a national hoarding pledge for housing providers, promising to work with residents instead of pursuing enforced clearances or evictions. The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services states that almost 100% of people who experience a property clearance without behavioral therapy will regress to hoarding behavior more rapidly.
What’s reported
Bringing Hoarders Together is a fortnightly peer support group in Wirral, Merseyside, run by Prima Group housing association.
Since 2020, UK fire services recorded a 78% increase in fires involving hoarding.
Last year in London, more than 2,000 properties were flagged by the fire service due to hoarding, up from 1,200 four years earlier.
Hoarding was classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization in 2018.
Prima Group launched a first-of-its-kind national hoarding pledge for housing providers.
The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services says almost 100% of people who experience a property clearance without behavioral therapy will regress to hoarding behavior more rapidly.
Key figures
Sian Cowley, 35, a hoarder who has struggled for decades
Laura Miller, 65, offered help after falling on stairs over clutter
Chloe, a hoarder who began after her mother took her own life (name changed)
Jenny Devon, sustainment and cohesion manager at Prima Group
Jo Cooke, director of Hoarding Disorders UK
Ruth Cookson, 53, a Prima resident who helped set up the group four years ago
Tony, a hoarder who showers at a leisure centre (name changed)
Sarah, a hoarder who was evicted and became homeless (name changed)
Sources: The Guardian
