'Hoarding' Milford woman hospitalized

By Frank Juliano

MILFORD -- A woman living in the senior housing complex on Jepson Drive was removed her apartment Friday and taken to Milford Hospital after her unit was declared unfit for habitation.

Firefighters arriving at the apartment, in a complex managed by the Milford Housing and Redevelopment Partnership, immediately called in health inspectors and housing managers.

"We have a mental health issue here,'' a firefighter radioed back to the dispatcher.

There was no fire, officials said, but trash and piles of clothes and papers were strewn everywhere.

"My understanding is that it was a hoarding situation,'' said Anthony Vasiliou, executive director of the housing partnership. "We have been very proactive on this and on general housekeeping issues, and we work closely with the Health Department.
Dr. A. Dennis McBride, the city health director, said the apartment "is unfit for human habitation at the present time,'' but he declined to specify what the conditions inside were.

The Milford Health Department under McBride has created an anti-hoarding task force and has held seminars on the issue for social-service agencies..." More