A local program addressing the dangers of extreme hoarding might be discontinued unless council provides financial support in the upcoming municipal budget.
A business case in the 2024-2027 budget seeks annual funding of $400,000 to maintain the Hoarding/Extreme Clean Program that serves up to 150 Londoners each year.
Hoarding increases the risk of house fires, negative health impacts, and evictions/homelessness.
“We’ve seen a lot of safety issues around pest infestations, [and] given the size of some peoples’ hoarding, it could [pose] structural challenges for the building,” explained the city’s Director of Housing Stability Services Craig Cooper.
The city has a contract with VHA Home Healthcare, a not-for-profit charitable organization, to operate the program.
The budget case warns, “Should this program not be funded, services to address hoarding will no longer be available in the London area”
The London Hoarding/Extreme Clean Program includes:
- Referrals through City of London’s Housing Stability Services
- Streamlined assessment process to determine eligibility and appropriate support including extreme cleaning, modified cleaning with additional support, hoarding clinical support, clutter coaching, and counselling
- Health and safety team
- Occupational therapy clinical mental health support
- Community education events about hoarding
“We’re bringing [the funding request] forward in a multi-year budget business case because there is ongoing need for this program,” Cooper said. “We think it’s a good point for the city to step in and permanently fund it.”
In 2022, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care stopped funding the local program, so the city stepped in with temporary financial support.
Council is being asked to make the $400,000 annual expenditure permanent.
“If it doesn't get multi-year budget funding, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board and see if there are other opportunities to access different types of funding,” admitted Cooper. “We’re hoping that it wouldn’t be the end of the program, but we’d definitely need to take another look.”
The cost equates to approximately $1.79 more on the average property tax bill.
The business case will be considered by council during multi-year budget deliberations in February.
