A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A respectful place to begin, whether you are looking for support for yourself, worried about someone you love, or trying to respond to a safety, housing, care, or practical concern in Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

People first.Then the stuff.A Fight the Blight initiative

Start here - Fight the Blight

You do not have to know the perfect next step.

Fight the Blight is the nonprofit and virtual-group front door for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns, including people who are directly affected and supporters who want to learn how to provide support. People in Chattanooga and Hamilton County can also use current city, county, state, nonprofit, peer-support, qualified-care, housing, shelter, food, legal, transportation, code, disposal, and practical pathways. No outside listing is an endorsement; each organization sets its own eligibility, cost, hours, service area, capacity, consent, privacy, and safety rules.

For immediate danger

For immediate danger, fire, serious injury, violence, or a life-threatening medical emergency, call 911. For behavioral-health or substance-use crisis support in Tennessee, call or text 988; Tennessee's crisis system can connect callers to local crisis services, and 988 is not a cleanup or hoarding-support service. For housing, food, utilities, transportation, and other basic-needs navigation, call United Way of Greater Chattanooga 211, call 423-265-8000 from outside the local 423 area code, text a ZIP code to 898-211, or search the online directory. Confirm the current local response before relying on it.

First conversations

A few good places to start

You do not need to know the perfect service name before reaching out. These organizations can help you understand the landscape and identify a next step.

Local information and referral for housing, rent, utilities, food, health, transportation, legal help, and other basic needs - Greater Chattanooga; weekday navigator hours and program rules vary

United Way of Greater Chattanooga 211

United Way's 211 team connects people with local resources by phone, text, and an online directory. The current service page lists weekday navigator hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 211, call 423-265-8000 from outside the local 423 area code, or text a ZIP code to 898-211. Ask specifically about Hamilton County housing, utility, food, disability, elder-care, and safety options.

Public behavioral-health planning, funding, and crisis-system navigation - Hamilton County; public-system, clinical, and program eligibility limits apply

Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board

The Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board plans, funds, and evaluates public behavioral-health services for Hamilton County residents and identifies an adult crisis center pathway. Ask which current provider, crisis, recovery, or care-coordination route fits the situation. This is public-system navigation, not a cleanup service or a guarantee of an available clinician.

Statewide 24/7/365 mobile-crisis, walk-in, stabilization, referral, and follow-up system - Tennessee; crisis assessment and clinical limits apply

Tennessee Department of Behavioral Health Crisis Services

Tennessee's crisis-continuum page describes 24/7/365 mobile crisis coverage in all 95 counties, with assessment, referral, stabilization, and follow-up pathways. Call or text 988 and ask to be connected to local crisis support. Crisis services do not provide routine decluttering, organizing, or property cleanup.

Free mental-health education, peer support, groups, and family resources - Hamilton County and Greater Chattanooga; schedules and group availability vary

NAMI Chattanooga

NAMI Chattanooga offers free education, skills training, and peer-led support for people living with mental-health conditions and their families. Its current support-group pages list NAMI Connection and Family Support options, including online and in-person schedules that can change. This is a support and education resource rather than therapy, emergency response, or a cleanup provider.

Qualified-care and support search - Chattanooga, telehealth, and national options; providers self-report, payment, licensure, availability, and scope must be confirmed

IOCDF Hoarding Resource Directory

The International OCD Foundation directory can be searched for clinicians, support groups, organizers, and programs that indicate an interest in hoarding-related concerns. IOCDF listings are not endorsements. Ask about current experience, licensure, consent-based pacing, privacy, fees, insurance, wait time, and whether home-based or telehealth work fits.

State disability, aging, caregiver, home-and-community, transportation, and information-assistance pathways - Tennessee; age, disability, assessment, and program rules apply

Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging

The Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging oversees services for people with disabilities and adults age 60 and older through Area Agencies on Aging and Disability and other programs. Ask about caregiver support, home-and-community services, information assistance, nutrition, transportation, and the local Area Agency. These programs are not hoarding-specific cleanup services.

Safety and stability

When the concern involves safety, housing, or crisis

These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve crisis care, protective services, shelter, housing rules, legal advocacy, or emergency dispatch.

Immediate danger and emergency dispatch - Chattanooga and Hamilton County; use for fire, medical emergency, violence, or immediate threat

911 Emergency Services

Call 911 when there is immediate danger, fire, a medical emergency, violence, or a threat that cannot wait for a scheduled service. Tell the dispatcher the exact address, hazards, mobility needs, and whether anyone may be trapped. Emergency dispatch is not a hoarding-support program, counseling service, or cleanup provider.

Mental-health and substance-use crisis support - Tennessee and nationwide; free, confidential, 24/7 support; not a substitute for 911

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 for emotional distress, a mental-health or substance-use crisis, or concern about someone else. Tennessee says callers can press 0 for a local counselor. 988 is not a cleanup provider and does not guarantee an in-home response; call 911 for immediate danger, fire, violence, or a medical emergency.

Statewide 24/7/365 crisis assessment, mobile response, stabilization, referral, and follow-up - Hamilton County and all Tennessee counties; clinical and safety limits apply

Tennessee Mobile Crisis and Walk-In Services

Tennessee's crisis continuum identifies mobile crisis coverage in every county, along with walk-in and crisis-stabilization pathways. Call or text 988 and ask for the safest current local option. These services address behavioral-health or substance-use crises; they are not a routine response to clutter, property conditions, or a request for cleaning.

Protective-services reporting for suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of adults unable to protect themselves - Tennessee, including Hamilton County; statutory definitions and assessment rules apply

Tennessee Adult Protective Services

Tennessee Adult Protective Services investigates reports involving adults who may be unable to protect themselves because of a physical or mental limitation, including qualifying self-neglect, abuse, neglect, or exploitation concerns. The hotline is available 24/7 and the state also offers an online report. APS is a protective-services pathway, not a routine cleanup service; call 911 for immediate danger.

Free, confidential safety planning, shelter navigation, elder-justice, domestic-violence, sexual-assault, and legal-support pathway - Hamilton County; hours and safety rules apply

Hamilton County Family Justice Center

The Family Justice Center serves Hamilton County and Chattanooga residents through co-located services for intimate-partner and family violence, elder justice, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Services include safety planning, help finding a safe place, referrals, protection-order support, court support, and counseling. Walk-ins are listed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; use a safe contact method if a device may be monitored.

24/7 domestic-violence and sexual-assault crisis hotline, advocacy, and confidential shelter pathway - Chattanooga; shelter capacity and safe-contact rules apply

Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults Crisis Hotline

Partnership provides a confidential crisis hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault, along with advocacy and shelter connections. This is a specialized safety resource, not general hoarding support. Ask about current shelter availability, transportation, children, pets, accessibility, and safe ways to communicate.

County public-safety and law-enforcement crisis-intervention pathway - Hamilton County; emergency dispatch, voluntary-response, and law-enforcement limits apply

Hamilton County Crisis Intervention Team

Hamilton County identifies crisis-intervention services intended to help public-safety responders work more effectively with people experiencing mental illness. This is a public-safety pathway, not therapy, a voluntary hoarding-support program, or guaranteed in-home care. Use 911 for immediate danger and ask dispatch about the safest available response.

Court-linked mental-health treatment, case management, housing, disability, and reentry supports - Hamilton County; legal participation and program eligibility apply

Hamilton County Mental Health Court and Justice Initiative

Hamilton County's mental-health court and justice initiative connects eligible justice-involved residents with treatment and wraparound supports. It is not a general public intake, emergency service, or hoarding-cleanup provider, but may be relevant when housing, disability, mental-health, and court concerns overlap.

Crime-victim support and referral pathway - City of Chattanooga; victim-service scope and emergency limits apply

Chattanooga Police Department Victim Services

The Chattanooga Police Department's Victim Services Unit works with law enforcement and community partners to support crime victims. Use it for victim-service questions or referrals connected to a reported crime; it is not a general housing, hoarding, counseling, or cleanup service. Call 911 for an emergency.

People and practical help

Housing, food, care, transportation, and ongoing support

These listings connect the local community with housing, food, behavioral health, benefits, transit, survivor advocacy, disability support, peer support, and practical resources. Ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.

Qualified outpatient mental-health, psychiatry, care coordination, and focused-care pathway - Chattanooga and surrounding counties; intake, payment, and service-area rules apply

Mental Health Cooperative - Chattanooga

Mental Health Cooperative's Chattanooga location serves Hamilton and nearby counties with therapy, psychiatry, medication, care coordination, children and family services, and focused-care options. Confirm current availability, insurance or payment, age range, and whether the requested support is clinical or nonclinical.

Qualified inpatient and outpatient behavioral-health care - Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee; clinical assessment, insurance, age, and admission rules apply

Parkridge Valley Hospital

Parkridge Valley Hospital lists inpatient and outpatient mental-health services for adults and acute inpatient care for adolescents. Ask about the current level of care, intake process, insurance or payment, and whether the concern is appropriate for its clinical services. Hospital care is not routine hoarding support or a cleanup service.

Specialized intensive outpatient mental-health and skills program - Chattanooga; adults with intellectual/developmental and mental-health diagnoses, communication, and intake requirements apply

Orange Grove Center Intensive Outpatient Program

Orange Grove Center describes an intensive outpatient program for adults with an intellectual or developmental disability and a current mental-health diagnosis. The program focuses on regulation, coping, decision-making, interpersonal boundaries, and peer support. It is not general therapy, a hoarding-specific program, or a cleanup provider; confirm current eligibility and intake.

Public housing, Housing Choice Voucher, affordable housing, and resident-service pathways - Chattanooga and Hamilton County; income, waitlist, documentation, and program rules apply

Chattanooga Housing Authority

The Chattanooga Housing Authority provides safe, affordable housing and resident services. Use its resident portal to apply or check an existing application, and confirm current waitlist openings, reasonable accommodations, accessibility, and documentation directly. Housing assistance is not guaranteed and is not a cleanup grant.

Rapid rehousing, deposit assistance, outreach, housing navigation, and eviction-prevention pathway - Chattanooga city limits; eligibility and funding rules apply

Office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

The City describes rapid rehousing and deposit assistance for people experiencing homelessness, plus rental assistance for some households at risk of eviction. Posted eviction-prevention criteria include living within city limits, a documented income or expense disruption, past-due rent, and no eviction filing yet. Confirm current funding, walk-in hours, and eligibility before relying on it.

Food, clothing, shelter and housing navigation, employment, community-center, and basic-needs support - Chattanooga; shelter and program availability vary

Chatt Foundation

The Chatt Foundation, formerly Chattanooga Community Kitchen, serves hungry, homeless, and vulnerable neighbors with food, clothing, shelter and housing support, employment, and other services. Its downtown location is a practical first stop for someone who needs basic-needs navigation alongside a housing or safety concern. Confirm current program and shelter capacity before traveling.

Overnight shelter, meals, and referrals for people experiencing homelessness - Chattanooga; nightly gate, population, identification, and capacity rules apply

Chattanooga Rescue Mission

Chattanooga Rescue Mission lists shelter, meals, and referrals to community partners for men and women facing homelessness. Confirm current intake, identification, accessibility, belongings, pets, and bed availability before traveling. Shelter is not hoarding support, therapy, or a guaranteed placement.

Food pantry map, mobile distributions, SNAP assistance, nutrition education, and emergency food network - Southeast Tennessee and nearby service area; pantry rules vary

Chattanooga Area Food Bank

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank connects people to free groceries, meal sites, mobile distributions, SNAP assistance, and community partners. Its food map explains what to bring and whether a site asks for identification or a ZIP code. Food support is not hoarding support or a substitute for emergency care; confirm hours, transportation, and household rules directly.

Minimum-housing, property-maintenance, litter, overgrowth, and inoperable-vehicle code pathway - Chattanooga city limits; complaint, notice, inspection, and enforcement rules apply

City of Chattanooga Code Enforcement

City code enforcement addresses minimum housing standards, structural conditions, litter, overgrowth, and inoperable vehicles. Residents can call 311 or the code office. This is a regulatory pathway that may create deadlines or liens; it is not consent-based hoarding support, therapy, or guaranteed financial assistance.

Bulky household trash drop-off - Chattanooga city residents; valid city residency, Hamilton County tags, load limits, 12-visit annual limit, and material rules apply

City Refuse Collection Centers

City residents can take many bulky household items to three refuse collection centers. The city requires proof of residency, limits visits to 12 per calendar year, restricts loads to a standard pickup-bed amount, and lists materials it will not accept. Confirm whether an item is accepted before transporting it; attendants may refuse a load.

Household hazardous-waste disposal pathway - Chattanooga and Tennessee residents as specified by the City; identification, material, facility-hours, and acceptance rules apply

City Household Hazardous Waste

The City provides a household hazardous-waste pathway with a current facility schedule and Tennessee-resident identification requirements. The page warns that staff may refuse unidentifiable materials and excludes some products such as latex or acrylic paint. Do not transport unknown or unsafe materials without confirming the current instructions.

Scheduled curbside pickup for household bulky items and brush - Chattanooga residents; placement, material, annual-limit, and resident rules apply

City Brush and Bulk Trash Collection

The city offers scheduled curbside pickup for many household bulky items, including furniture, mattresses, appliances, carpet, and large toys. Residents must separate materials and place them safely at the curb; businesses, apartment complexes, landlords, and contractors are excluded. Confirm the current schedule and accepted items before setting anything out.

Free civil legal help for qualifying residents, including housing, eviction, domestic-violence, elder-law, and benefits matters - Hamilton County; income, case type, and intake rules apply

Legal Aid of East Tennessee

Legal Aid of East Tennessee serves Hamilton County from its Chattanooga office and may help qualifying residents with eviction and tenant rights, domestic-violence and protection matters, elder law, and public benefits. Call early, before a deadline, and ask whether the specific issue fits its current program capacity.

Non-medical in-home help with housekeeping, errands, grocery shopping, and daily living - Chattanooga; referrals exclusively through Tennessee APS and eligibility rules apply

Partnership Home Care Program

Partnership's Home Care Program assists older adults and disabled adults with non-medical in-home support such as housekeeping, grocery shopping, and personal assistance. The organization says referrals are accepted exclusively through Tennessee Adult Protective Services and eligibility includes APS-identified need. It is not a general-public cleanup service; ask APS about the current referral path.

ADA paratransit with origin-to-destination shared transportation - Chattanooga, Red Bank, and East Ridge service area; functional eligibility, medical verification, reservations, and fares apply

CARTA Care-A-Van

CARTA's Care-A-Van provides origin-to-destination shared transportation for people with disabilities who are functionally unable to use fixed-route service for some or all trips. The current page lists an eligibility application, medical verification, advance reservations, and fares that vary by service level. Ask about current pickup rules, accessible needs, and whether the trip fits the service area.

Volunteer assisted transportation for essential appointments - Southeast Tennessee; adults 60+, screening, mobility, scheduling, and affordable-ride rules apply

MyRide TN Southeast

MyRide TN Southeast provides volunteer assisted transportation to essential appointments for adults age 60 and older who can walk independently or with a walker or cane. The service lists screened and trained volunteers, a short rider application, and priority for medical appointments. Call before relying on a ride; availability, screening, and scheduling rules apply.

State information and referral for transportation serving older adults and people with disabilities - Tennessee; regional resource and eligibility rules vary

Tennessee Transportation Assistance

Tennessee's Department of Disability and Aging maintains transportation information for older adults and people with disabilities, including Area Agency on Aging and Disability options and MyRide Tennessee. Call the statewide information line to identify the current Hamilton County pathway, then confirm fares, eligibility, scheduling, and accessibility directly.

Nonprofit disability, caregiver, aging, respite, and self-sufficiency programs - Chattanooga and regional service areas; program, age, disability, and capacity rules vary

Signal Centers

Signal Centers is a Chattanooga nonprofit with programs focused on disability, early childhood, caregiver support, aging, respite, and self-sufficiency. Ask which current program fits the person's age, disability, caregiving, or independence needs. It is not a hoarding-specific cleanup provider or emergency service.

Private-pay hoarding support, organizing help, groups, and family guidance - broader service area; scope, cost, scheduling, travel, consent, and privacy rules apply

The Peer Tree

The Peer Tree is the private-pay pathway for organizing help, decluttering support, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps when a grant or public program is not the right fit. Ask about scope, cost, travel, consent, safety, privacy, and whether requested support is available in Chattanooga.

Digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns - online; not therapy or emergency support

Unburied

Unburied, from The Peer Tree, offers a judgment-free digital pathway with peer support, groups, and tools for people directly affected and for friends or family supporters. It is not therapy, a crisis service, or a substitute for emergency help.

A note from the Alliance

Start with the person. Then decide what the situation needs.

This guide is anchored in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and includes city, county, state, nonprofit, national, and independent pathways. A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or county agency, therapy practice, emergency service, or cleanup company. We will keep reviewing this page, but please confirm details directly before relying on them.

Need help choosing a path? Contact Fight the Blight