Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Councils will help serial hoarders

COUNCILS - sick of cleaning up after serial hoarders - are sending in counsellors to help problem residents.

Nearly 200 hoarders across the Sydney basin are well known to authorities; Waverley Council has sent cleaners to a single Bondi house 14 times in 17 years and Willoughby Council has 12 problem properties.

Councils are frustrated at having to repeatedly clean out yards and houses of people living in waist-deep rubbish.

They can force the issue when nests of snakes, rats and cockroaches appear - but six months later the filth is back, outraging neighbours and creating a general health hazard.

Willoughby City Council has engaged Macquarie University to run a clinical study to treat people with severe hoarding issues.

Willoughby Mayor Pat Reilly said the program would give therapy to severe hoarders..." More

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