Adelaide: Neighbours at breaking point as they call for action over home of ‘extreme’ hoarder who lives in a caravan because her house is uninhabitable

Outraged neighbors in an Adelaide suburb have demanded their council clear out a house piled so high with hoarded belongings that its owner can’t even live in it.

Residents say the shocking hoarding around the house in the south of the city is putting their safety at risk and needs to be addressed quickly.

Neighbor Ray Lovell said he was concerned about the potential for a fire with all the junk piled so high.

‘If there is a fire in that house, how are they going to fight it? If the house next door catches fire, who’s to blame?’ he told 7News.

The homeowner lives in a caravan in front of his plot because the house has become uninhabitable due to extreme hoarding.

The house was cleaned up last year, but the mess soon piled up again, locals said.

The householder said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after her brother was murdered in 2010.

Hoarding is considered a mental health condition that requires specialist intervention and support.

Angela Esnouf, from a company called Hoarding Home Solutions, trains people to help compulsive hoarders.

Holding an excessive amount of stuff increases the risk of fire, bacteria, mold, rodents and insects, she said.

The Onkaparinga City Council said it has spent a lot of time helping the homeowner, but with no lasting success.

She now has until the end of June to clean up the building.

“Once the notice deadline has passed, the council will inspect the land to determine if the requirements have been met,” a council spokesperson said.

“Should the matter not be resolved, we will carry out the required work as we did in May 2023.”

Ms Esnouf said that without the right support for the hoarder, talking them out of the items they have collected can be very painful.

‘It builds up a new layer of mistrust, a new trauma that someone has to try to get over. It will never be a positive experience,” she said.

Hoarding is often linked to anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions, Ms. Esnouf added.

“Some people want to create a nest for themselves (to keep them barricaded in their home). It could be a result of trauma for them… that they want to make themselves feel safe,” she said.

Residents say the shocking hoarding (pictured) around the house is putting their safety at risk and something must be done quickly

‘It can give them the feeling that they are contributing to society because they are saving things from the landfill.’

She said the homeowner will need support as the council removes the hoarded items because they don’t understand the difference between junk and something valuable.

“You really have to be very specific in laying out what you can expect (from them) and provide a lot of support 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 introduce skills, habits and routines to help them live in a more functional way.’