A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Dover, Delaware.

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 Dover and Kent 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 Dover and Kent County can also use current city, county, state, nonprofit, peer-support, qualified-care, housing, shelter, food, benefits, transportation, legal, 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 crisis support in Kent County, call 1-800-345-6785, the Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-946-7333, or call or text 988. For housing, food, utilities, transportation, and other basic-needs navigation, call 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211. 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.

Public behavioral-health access · Dover and Kent County · intake, eligibility, and program fit apply

Delaware DSAMH Dover Community Mental Health Center

Delaware's Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health lists a Dover Community Mental Health Center at the James W. Williams State Service Center and a Dover Treatment Access Center. Ask about the current intake route, available services, insurance or eligibility, and whether the person's goals fit the available care. This is not a hoarding-specific cleanup service.

Aging, disability, and caregiver navigation · Delaware, including Kent County · free referral and eligibility rules vary

Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center

The Delaware ADRC is a statewide front door for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. Resource specialists can help identify long-term services, home supports, community living options, and safety-related referrals. Ask about the right local pathway, current hours, accessibility, and any assessment requirements.

Health, housing, utility, food, and human-services navigation · Delaware · free, confidential referral

Delaware 211

Delaware 211 connects residents with food, housing, utilities, emergency shelter, transportation, medical care, and other community resources. Call 211 or text a ZIP code to 898-211. Ask for Dover or Kent County options and confirm eligibility, availability, and whether a referral is current before relying on it.

County navigation · Kent County · emergency, homelessness, crisis, and public-service contacts vary

Kent County Levy Court Emergency Contacts

Kent County's emergency-contacts page brings together 911, crisis, homelessness, domestic-violence, utility, and other public-service pathways. Use it to identify the right county or state entry point, then confirm current eligibility, hours, capacity, and whether the situation calls for 911 or a non-emergency service.

Public housing and voucher navigation · Dover · waitlists, eligibility, and openings vary

Dover Housing Authority

Dover Housing Authority provides affordable housing options through public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based vouchers, and other programs for eligible households, older adults, and people with disabilities. Its current page says the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed while other lists may be open. Check the current status, documentation, accessibility, and application rules directly; this is not emergency shelter.

Housing, repair, and emergency-housing navigation · Kent and Sussex Counties · program and funding rules apply

Delaware State Housing Authority

The Delaware State Housing Authority serves as a public housing authority in Kent and Sussex Counties and provides housing finance, development, repair, and rental-assistance pathways. DSHA says it does not provide emergency shelter directly and directs people with a housing emergency to its partner network, 211, or the current emergency-housing line. Confirm the correct program and current funding before relying on it.

Statewide OCD and related-disorders support · Delaware · group format, cost, and fit vary

OCD Delaware

OCD Delaware is a Delaware nonprofit that provides community support and awareness for people living with OCD and related disorders, their families, and professionals. Its current resource pages list support-group options, including an ADRC group for older adults and other virtual or in-person groups. Ask whether a group is appropriate for hoarding concerns; this is not emergency care or a promise of clinical treatment.

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 · Dover and Kent 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, an overdose, or a threat that cannot wait for a scheduled service. Emergency dispatch is not a hoarding-support program, behavioral-health counseling service, or cleanup provider. When the situation is not immediately dangerous, begin with support, care, or navigation.

Behavioral-health crisis support · Delaware and nationwide · free, confidential, 24/7

Delaware 988

Call or text 988 for free, confidential support during a mental-health, substance-use, suicidal, or emotional-distress crisis. It is not a cleanup, housing, or code-enforcement service. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a medical emergency.

Behavioral-health crisis support · Central and Southern Kent County · 24/7 crisis line

Central and Southern Kent County Crisis Intervention Services

Delaware DSAMH lists Crisis Intervention Services at 1-800-345-6785 for Central and Southern Kent County and identifies the Ellendale Crisis Facility for Kent and Sussex Counties. Use this for behavioral-health or substance-use crisis support, not routine decluttering or property cleanup. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a medical emergency.

Behavioral-health crisis and referral support · Delaware · 24/7 clinical and peer support

Delaware Hope Line

Delaware DSAMH identifies the Hope Line as a 24/7 route for crisis assistance, clinical and peer-specialist support, resources, and information. Use it when the need involves emotional or behavioral-health distress and is not a 911 emergency. It is not a hoarding cleanup or housing-placement service.

Protection and safety reporting · Delaware · suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation criteria apply

Delaware Adult Protective Services

Delaware DHSS Adult Protective Services investigates concerns involving an older adult or adult with a disability who may be at risk of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, abandonment, or exploitation. The State says services are confidential and voluntary and may be reported anonymously. This is a protective-services pathway, not a routine cleanup referral; call 911 for immediate danger.

Housing crisis navigation · Kent County · shelter, access, and capacity rules vary

Kent County Homelessness Assistance

Kent County's emergency-contacts page links residents to homelessness assistance and other housing-crisis pathways. Use it for a housing crisis or when homelessness is imminent, and confirm the current entry point, hours, transportation, accessibility, eligibility, and capacity directly. A referral does not guarantee shelter placement.

Emergency-housing navigation · Delaware, including Kent County · DSHA is not a shelter provider

Delaware State Housing Authority Emergency Housing

DSHA's current emergency-housing information says the Authority does not provide emergency housing or shelter directly and directs people to its partner network, 211, and the listed emergency-housing line. Use this to identify a current housing response, not as a guarantee of placement. Confirm accessibility, household requirements, transportation, and capacity before traveling.

Property safety and code pathway · City of Dover · complaints and inspections follow city rules

Dover Code Enforcement

Dover Code Enforcement conducts housing inspections and checks compliance with property-maintenance and other adopted codes. Use it for a genuine city property-safety concern, not as a substitute for consent-based support, a cleanup service, or emergency response. Ask about complaint steps, inspection timing, notice, and correction requirements.

Utility and infrastructure safety · City of Dover · emergency and billing routes differ

Dover Utility and Sewer Emergencies

The City of Dover publishes separate contacts for utility questions, power or streetlight problems, and after-hours system or sewer concerns. Use the current City utility information for an address-specific issue, and call 911 if a utility condition creates immediate danger. This is not a hoarding-support or cleanup service.

County sewer emergency contact · Kent County · infrastructure response only

Kent County Sewer Emergencies

Kent County lists a 24/7 sewer-emergency number for county sewer districts. Use it for an active sewer or wastewater emergency, not for household disposal, hoarding support, or general housing navigation. Confirm whether the address is in the county sewer service area and call 911 if there is immediate danger.

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.

Practical disposal · City of Dover residents · collection rules, materials, and set-out limits apply

City of Dover Sanitation and Recycling

Dover's Sanitation and Recycling division collects municipal solid waste and publishes current trash, recycling, and address-based schedule information. The City lists limits on items such as tires, concrete, hazardous material, brush, and construction debris. Confirm the address-specific schedule, bulk-item rules, accepted materials, and set-out requirements before placing anything outside.

Practical disposal · Greater Kent County · service area, material, and quantity rules apply

Kent County Trash, Recycling, and Bulk Pickup

Kent County Levy Court publishes trash, recycling, yard-waste, and bulk-item guidance for its service area. The current page says up to four bulk items may be collected weekly at no extra cost when they meet handling rules, while some materials require a landfill or another route. Confirm whether the address is in county service, what is accepted, and how to prepare items.

Landfill and waste-facility navigation · Delaware · fees, hours, and material rules apply

Delaware Solid Waste Authority and Sandtown Landfill

The Delaware Solid Waste Authority operates or coordinates disposal facilities, including the Sandtown Landfill serving the Dover area. Use it for materials that do not fit ordinary collection, and confirm current hours, accepted materials, transportation, and disposal fees before going. Do not mix hazardous materials into an ordinary load.

Food assistance and pantry navigation · Delaware, including Kent County · pantry, mobile, and partner schedules vary

Delaware Food Bank

The Food Bank of Delaware distributes food statewide through partner agencies, mobile pantries, food closets, and its Newark and Milford Healthy Pantry Centers. It also provides SNAP outreach and other stability supports. Use the current food-help tools and confirm location, hours, transportation, household rules, and available food before traveling.

Emergency food navigation · Delaware · pantry schedules and local supply vary

Delaware DHSS Food Pantries

Delaware DHSS directs residents needing food assistance to Delaware 211, Food Bank of Delaware community pantries, and State Service Centers that may provide emergency food supplies. Confirm the nearest current location, hours, identification, transportation, accessibility, and household rules before traveling.

Food-benefit application and information · Delaware · income, household, residency, and federal rules apply

Delaware SNAP and ASSIST

Delaware DHSS administers SNAP and directs residents to the ASSIST portal and State Service Centers for applications and interviews. Current eligibility includes household, income, residency, and other federal rules that may change. Benefits can help with food access but do not provide hoarding treatment, cleanup, or housing placement.

Energy and utility assistance · Delaware, including Kent County · income, season, crisis, and application rules apply

Delaware Utility Assistance and Weatherization

Delaware's Energy Assistance Program may help eligible households with heating, cooling, utility shutoff, fuel, and weatherization needs. The current state page lists Kent County application help through Catholic Charities and explains that crisis assistance and seasonal assistance have different rules. Confirm current income limits, documents, deadlines, and whether the program can address the specific utility problem.

Accessible transportation · Dover and Kent County · ADA certification, route, reservation, and fare rules apply

DART First State and Kent County Paratransit

DART First State provides fixed-route service statewide and ADA-certified paratransit for people who cannot use regular fixed-route transit because of a disability. Eligibility is based on functional inability, with current applications, service boundaries, reservations, and fares set by DART. Confirm certification, pickup area, schedule, accessibility, and current fare; this is not emergency transport.

Free housing legal assistance · Kent County and Delaware · income, issue, and intake rules apply

Community Legal Aid Society Housing Legal Services

Community Legal Aid Society describes free housing legal assistance for qualifying Delaware residents facing subsidized-housing eviction or termination, lockout, unsafe living conditions, and some fair-housing concerns. The Kent County office is in Dover. Bring notices or relevant papers if possible and confirm that the issue is within scope; legal aid is not emergency dispatch.

Eviction legal information · Delaware · tenant, case, and income rules apply

Delaware Right to Representation in Evictions

Delaware's legal-aid network provides information about the right to representation in qualifying eviction and housing-subsidy termination cases. Use the current materials to understand whether a notice or court matter may qualify and contact a legal-aid agency promptly. This is not a cleanup or guaranteed housing-placement service.

Practical organizing search · Delaware · independent providers, pricing, privacy, and fit vary

Delaware Professional Organizers

This Delaware professional-organizer directory can help identify independent providers who may offer decluttering or organizing support in the state. It is not a public program, hoarding-specific guarantee, or endorsement. Ask about hoarding-related experience, cost, scope, privacy, consent, pacing, disposal practices, and how the person living in the home will be involved.

Qualified-care and support search · Delaware and national directory · verify details directly

IOCDF Hoarding Resource Directory

The International OCD Foundation's hoarding directory can help people search for therapists, programs, support groups, organizers, and task forces. Availability, credentials, insurance, fees, and service area can change. Use it as a starting point and confirm every detail with the provider; a directory listing is not an Alliance endorsement or guarantee.

Peer and education groups · Delaware, including virtual options · age, schedule, cost, and group fit vary

OCD Delaware Support Groups

OCD Delaware lists current support and education groups for people affected by OCD and related disorders, including an informal ADRC group for older adults and other virtual or in-person options. Some listed groups have no cost while others list a fee. Confirm the current meeting details, registration, cost, accessibility, and whether the group is a fit for hoarding concerns.

Practical and peer support · private-pay pathway · confirm fit, scope, and fees

The Peer Tree

The Peer Tree offers nonclinical hoarding and clutter support, including organizing help, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps. Ask about current availability, service area, scope, pacing, privacy, and fees before beginning. The Peer Tree is a separate private-pay pathway from Fight the Blight's nonprofit programming.

Digital peer support · available online · not therapy or emergency support

Unburied

Unburied, from The Peer Tree, is a judgment-free digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns and for supporters. It can offer ongoing connection, tools, and momentum from Dover or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, emergency support, or a city service.

A note from the Alliance

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

This guide is anchored in Dover, Delaware, 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