A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Hudson, New York.

You don’t have to make decisions about every item to ask for help. Start with what would make today easier: a usable exit, a place to prepare food, or help understanding a notice. If you’re helping someone else, ask what they want help with and what should be left alone.

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

Start here - Fight the Blight

Choose the help that fits what’s happening today

If you have a deadline from a landlord, the city, or a utility, keep the notice and mention the date when you call. If there’s no immediate hazard, you can start with a conversation, a peer group, or a care appointment. None of those steps commits you to a cleanout.

Ask what happens at the first group and whether there is a separate option for friends and family. You can start with a conversation without agreeing to a cleanout.

Role: nonprofit entry point for hoarding-related support and virtual groups; geography: ask about joining remotely from Hudson or elsewhere in Columbia County; cost/eligibility: confirm current group access, registration, and any fees; local funded in-home help is not assumed; emergency limit: not therapy or emergency response.

Connect with Fight the Blight Call or text (724) 739-3785
For immediate danger

For an active fire, immediate danger, or a medical emergency, move to safety if you can and call 911. Give your address and tell the dispatcher about blocked entrances or anyone who may need help leaving.

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.

Role: separate private-pay hoarding support and family guidance; geography: ask about online support and whether anyone serves your Hudson address in person; cost/eligibility: private-pay; ask for a written scope and quote; emergency limit: not therapy, hazardous-material removal, or emergency response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

The Peer Tree

Ask who makes decisions about belongings, what you can pause, and whether you can hire help for one task at a time.

Explore private-pay support
Role: digital peer support for people affected and the people supporting them; geography: online; cost/eligibility: confirm current access, group availability, and any fees; emergency limit: not therapy or emergency support. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Unburied

Look for a manageable first step, or plan a conversation with someone you care about. Share only what you feel comfortable sharing.

Explore digital peer support
Role: information and referral for basic needs; geography: regional service covering Columbia County; cost/eligibility: free referral service; listed programs set their own rules; emergency limit: not emergency dispatch or a guarantee of placement. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

211 Northeast New York

Give your ZIP code and tell the specialist if you need food, a ride, or a place to stay. Say up front if you have a deadline or cannot travel.

Find a referral through 211

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.

Role: dispatch for immediate fire, medical, or safety threats; geography: Hudson, Columbia County, and the United States; cost/eligibility: no enrollment; separate medical or ambulance bills may apply; emergency limit: call from a phone for immediate danger; the website does not dispatch responders. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

911 Emergency Services

Give the street address, the best way in, and whether anyone needs help getting out. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Call 911
Role: hospital emergency care; geography: 71 Prospect Avenue in Hudson; cost/eligibility: emergency care is open 24/7; billing depends on care and coverage; emergency limit: call 911 if you need immediate help or cannot travel safely. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Memorial Hospital Emergency Department

For an urgent injury or sudden illness, use emergency care. For routine health or ongoing concerns, use a primary-care or mental-health appointment.

Check Hudson emergency care
Role: home fire prevention guidance; geography: national guidance for households and supporters; cost/eligibility: free public information; emergency limit: not an inspection or dispatch; call 911 for active danger. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

U.S. Fire Administration: Hoarding and Fire Safety

Start with a path to an exit and space around heat sources. Tell anyone helping you which areas are unsafe to enter.

Read the fire safety guide
Role: city building, housing, electrical, and fire-prevention code office; geography: City of Hudson addresses; verify your municipality outside city limits; cost/eligibility: ask the office about a specific notice, inspection, permit, or fees; emergency limit: not emergency dispatch, legal representation, or a cleanout service. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

City of Hudson Code Enforcement

If you received a notice, keep a copy and ask which condition needs attention first. Record the deadline and whom you spoke with.

Find the city code office
Role: public benefits screening for basic needs, utility loss, or housing emergencies; geography: Columbia County; cost/eligibility: income, resources, and situation can affect eligibility; ask about documents and whether you need an appointment; emergency limit: temporary housing is not guaranteed and this is not emergency dispatch. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County DSS Temporary and Emergency Assistance

Say whether you are facing eviction, running out of heating fuel, or have nowhere safe to sleep. Ask what you can do today if you do not have all the paperwork.

Check county assistance
Role: protective assessment and service coordination for eligible adults; geography: Columbia County; cost/eligibility: adults 18 and older; no income test for APS, but other protective-services criteria apply; emergency limit: not 911, a routine cleanup service, or a promise of services. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County Adult Protective Services

If an adult cannot meet essential needs safely and has no one able to help, ask how APS assesses whether support is appropriate.

Review adult protective services
Role: confidential advocacy, safety planning, and domestic violence services; geography: Columbia and Greene counties; cost/eligibility: services are free and confidential; confirm the appropriate program; emergency limit: crisis support is not police, fire, or ambulance dispatch; use 911 for immediate danger. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Greene Victim Services

If someone is threatening you or controlling access to money, belongings, or housing, ask an advocate about safer options from a safe phone or device.

Find confidential survivor support
Role: nonlawyer legal information and referrals; geography: serves Columbia County by phone and online; cost/eligibility: free; no appointment or eligibility screening for Legal Hand; emergency limit: not legal advice, court representation, or an emergency service. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Legal Hand Capital Region Call-in Center

If a landlord or court sent you a notice, have the date and papers handy. Ask where to find legal representation and do not assume a deadline is extended.

Get legal information and referrals
Role: referral-based housing stabilization and case management; geography: people experiencing homelessness in Columbia County; cost/eligibility: free for eligible clients; referral from Columbia County DSS required; emergency limit: not a walk-in shelter or a guarantee of immediate placement. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

St. Catherine’s Columbia County Homeless Services

If you are unhoused, start with County DSS and ask whether you can be referred for longer-term housing support.

Read about the DSS referral program

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.

Role: county clinical mental-health assessment and services; geography: 325 Columbia Street in Hudson; serves Columbia County residents; cost/eligibility: ask about intake, insurance, wait times, and clinician experience with hoarding; emergency limit: routine intake is not emergency dispatch; use 911 for immediate danger. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County Mental Health Center

Ask if a clinician can assess how clutter, difficulty discarding, or acquiring is affecting your life. Ask about a specialty referral if needed.

Check mental-health intake options
Role: primary care and family medicine; geography: 71 Prospect Avenue, Suite 110, Hudson; cost/eligibility: ask about new-patient availability, insurance, and out-of-pocket costs; emergency limit: not the hospital emergency department. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Memorial Family Care

A primary-care visit can help you discuss falls, mobility, or other health concerns and decide whether a referral would help.

Find the Hudson primary-care office
Role: education and routes to a clinician or group search; geography: online, with directories that can be searched by location; cost/eligibility: public information is free; providers set their own availability, fees, and eligibility; emergency limit: not diagnosis, treatment, emergency support, or a local endorsement. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

International OCD Foundation Hoarding Resource Center

When you contact a clinician, ask directly about hoarding-disorder experience and whether their license covers where you live if you meet online.

Find hoarding-specific information
Role: peer-led recovery support and connection; geography: Apogee Center in Hudson; cost/eligibility: the center is free; confirm hours, activities, and any intake steps; emergency limit: not hoarding-specific treatment or emergency response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties: Apogee Center

Ask what a first visit is like and whether you can learn about peer support before joining an activity.

Explore Hudson peer support
Role: food and basic-needs assistance; geography: 540 Columbia Street in Hudson; cost/eligibility: ask about hours, service area, documents, and available items before going; emergency limit: not medical or housing emergency response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Opportunities Food Pantry and Essential Items

If your kitchen is hard to use, ask about food that needs little preparation and tell the pantry if getting there is difficult.

Check pantry access
Role: home energy assessment and eligible energy-saving work; geography: Columbia County homeowners and renters; cost/eligibility: no cost for income-eligible households; waitlist applies; renters should ask about owner permission; emergency limit: not emergency heat repair, clutter removal, or hazardous-material cleanup. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Opportunities Weatherization Assistance

Ask what areas an assessor needs to reach before a visit and whether the program can explain how to prepare in stages.

Check weatherization eligibility
Role: application intake for heating-cost benefits; geography: Columbia County residents; application help in Hudson; cost/eligibility: benefits depend on eligibility and program dates; confirm the current window and required papers; emergency limit: not a same-day repair promise or emergency dispatch. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia Opportunities Home Energy Assistance Program

Have your heating account details or shutoff notice ready. Ask County DSS about urgent fuel, shutoff, or equipment trouble.

Find HEAP application information
Role: information and referral for long-term services and supports; geography: Columbia County; cost/eligibility: ask about access and whether recommended services charge fees or have eligibility rules; emergency limit: not emergency dispatch or direct home care. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County NY Connects

If daily tasks are getting harder, ask about options for staying at home and which programs require a separate assessment.

Find long-term support options
Role: meal delivery through the Office for the Aging; geography: eligible Columbia County residents; cost/eligibility: not income-based; ask about age, homebound criteria, the assessment, and voluntary contributions; emergency limit: not a same-day food or medical response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County Home Delivered Meals

If you have difficulty shopping or preparing meals, ask about assessment and what to do while you wait.

Review meal delivery eligibility
Role: nonprofit tenant housing counseling, rights information, and referrals; geography: Hudson and Columbia County; cost/eligibility: counseling is free; confirm appointment availability and rules for any separate assistance; emergency limit: not an emergency shelter or legal representative. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Galvan Housing Resources

If rent is getting harder to keep up with or you’re unsure what a landlord letter means, ask a counselor about options. If you have a court deadline, seek legal help promptly.

Explore housing and counseling options
Role: local buses and shuttle information; geography: Hudson, Greenport, and other published county routes; cost/eligibility: confirm current schedule, fare, accessibility, and any advance booking; emergency limit: not an ambulance, cleanout service, or door-to-door guarantee. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County Public Transportation

Check the return trip before booking an appointment. If you need help boarding or carrying items, ask the operator what is possible.

Check routes and fares
Role: transfer station and recycling guidance; geography: county facilities including Greenport, with a Hudson mailing address; cost/eligibility: confirm accepted items, fees, hours, and residency rules for the facility; emergency limit: not in-home removal or a response to dangerous materials. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.

Columbia County Solid Waste

Call before moving large items, chemicals, or electronics. For curbside service, ask the municipality that serves your address.

Check county disposal rules

A note from the Alliance

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

This guide is anchored in Hudson, New York, 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