A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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 Lake Charles or Calcasieu Parish.

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

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You can begin with the part that feels most urgent today.

Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, and nearby Southwest Louisiana communities. We can help you think through what kind of next step may fit.

For immediate danger

Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, immediate danger, or active threat. For emotional distress or a behavioral-health crisis, call or text 988; Imperial Calcasieu Human Services Authority lists a 24/7 crisis hotline at 833-900-0055. For current food, shelter, housing, utilities, transportation, or benefits navigation, dial 211 and confirm local availability.

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.

Private-pay hoarding support, organizing help, groups, and family guidance - broader service area; scope, cost, scheduling, travel, consent, safety, and capacity rules apply; not emergency care

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, and whether support is available in Lake Charles or Calcasieu Parish.

Digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns - online; no cost or eligibility claim verified; 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.

Qualified public behavioral-health, addiction, developmental-disability, counseling, psychiatry, and crisis pathway - Calcasieu and nearby Southwest Louisiana parishes; intake, clinical, insurance, eligibility, and service-area rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Imperial Calcasieu Human Services Authority

Imperial Calcasieu Human Services Authority provides behavioral-health, addiction, and developmental-disability services for Calcasieu and nearby parishes. Its Lake Charles pathway includes same-day access and a 24/7 crisis hotline at 833-900-0055; call to confirm the right service and use 911 for immediate danger.

Information, referral, and resource-navigation pathway for food, shelter, housing, health, utilities, and social services - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; availability, eligibility, and provider capacity must be confirmed; not emergency dispatch

Louisiana 211

Use Louisiana 211 to ask about current local food, shelter, housing, health, utility, senior, disability, disaster, and family resources. Confirm the direct provider, hours, eligibility, and capacity before traveling or sharing sensitive information; use 911 for immediate danger.

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.

Emergency dispatch for immediate danger, fire, medical emergency, or active threat - Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish; emergency use only

911

Call 911 when someone is in immediate danger, a fire or medical emergency is happening, violence is occurring, or emergency responders are needed. A housing or clutter concern that is not immediately dangerous may need a planned code, housing, health, or support response instead.

Free 24/7 phone, text, and chat crisis support - Louisiana and nationwide; not a substitute for 911 when danger is immediate

Louisiana 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 for emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or a behavioral-health or substance-use crisis. Louisiana identifies 988 as a direct connection to accessible crisis support; use 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a serious medical emergency.

24/7 behavioral-health, addiction, and crisis-intervention pathway - Calcasieu and nearby Southwest Louisiana parishes; triage, clinical, eligibility, and deployment rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Imperial Calcasieu HSA 24/7 Crisis Hotline

Imperial Calcasieu Human Services Authority lists a 24/7 crisis hotline at 833-900-0055. Call to explain the current behavioral-health or substance-use concern and ask about available response; call 911 when danger, fire, or a serious medical emergency is present.

Official mobile-crisis, behavioral-health crisis-care, brief-support, and stabilization pathway - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; triage, clinical, eligibility, and deployment rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Louisiana Crisis Response System

Louisiana Department of Health describes a crisis-response system that includes mobile crisis response, behavioral-health crisis care, brief community support, and crisis stabilization. Use the state page to identify current access and call 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency.

Official property-maintenance, junk, sanitation, building-safety, and nuisance complaint pathway - Lake Charles city limits; jurisdiction, inspection, notice, compliance, and legal rules apply; not emergency dispatch

City of Lake Charles Code Enforcement and Property Standards

The City of Lake Charles Code Enforcement and Property Standards Department handles property-maintenance and building-safety concerns, including junk and inoperable-vehicle abatement. Call 337-491-1295 for a planned city concern; call 911 for an immediate hazard.

Official property-standards and land-use complaint pathway - unincorporated Calcasieu Parish; jurisdiction, inspection, notice, compliance, and legal rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Calcasieu Parish Code Enforcement

Calcasieu Parish Police Jury provides code-enforcement and property-standards information for parish areas outside city jurisdiction. Use the parish contact to describe an observable condition and confirm jurisdiction; call 911 for an immediate danger.

Free confidential domestic-violence advocacy, safety planning, and emergency-shelter pathway - Calcasieu, Cameron, and Allen Parishes; case-by-case intake, confidentiality, safety, and capacity rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Oasis A Safe Haven Domestic Violence Hotline

Oasis A Safe Haven provides free 24/7 support and safe shelter for survivors of domestic violence in Calcasieu, Cameron, and Allen Parishes. Call 888-411-1333 or the support line at 337-436-4552; use a safer device if monitoring is a concern.

Free confidential sexual-assault crisis intervention, advocacy, and support pathway - Southwest Louisiana; parish, confidentiality, medical, legal, and capacity rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Oasis Sexual Assault Hotline

Oasis provides sexual-violence support, medical advocacy, counseling, and referrals in Southwest Louisiana. Call 337-494-7273 or the current hotline listed by Oasis; call 911 for immediate danger or urgent medical needs.

Official court and protective-order navigation pathway for domestic-violence survivors - Calcasieu Parish; legal, filing, safety, confidentiality, and court rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Calcasieu Parish Protective Orders

The Calcasieu Clerk of Court explains protective-order and temporary-restraining-order pathways and identifies Oasis as a local support resource. Use it for planned legal navigation and safe filing information; call 911 when danger is immediate.

Official protective-services reporting and response pathway for suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect of an older adult - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; screening, confidentiality, and response rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Louisiana Elderly Protective Services

Louisiana's Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs coordinates elderly protective services and other aging supports. Use the state pathway to report a concern or ask for local guidance; call 911 when danger or a medical emergency is immediate.

Official child-abuse and child-neglect reporting pathway - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; mandated-reporting, screening, confidentiality, and response rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Hotline

Call the Louisiana DCFS child-protection hotline at 855-4LA-KIDS when you suspect a child is being abused or neglected. Use 911 for an immediate threat, serious injury, fire, or other emergency; DCFS determines screening and response.

Free 24/7 crisis support for veterans, service members, and people who support them - nationwide, including Lake Charles; crisis scope and emergency-response rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Veterans Crisis Line

Veterans, service members, and their supporters can call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or use the Veterans Crisis Line chat. Use 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a serious medical 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.

Public housing and rental-assistance pathway - Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish; income, household, waitlist, application, accommodation, and program rules apply; not emergency shelter

Housing Authority of Lake Charles

The City of Lake Charles resource guide identifies the Housing Authority of Lake Charles as a local affordable-housing and rental-assistance pathway. Use the official guide to confirm the current office, application and waitlist information, documents, and accommodations; it is not an emergency shelter.

Official public-housing, project-based rental-assistance, and Housing Choice Voucher pathway - Louisiana, including the Lake Charles area; income, household, waitlist, unit, and program rules apply; not emergency shelter

Louisiana Housing Authority Public Housing and Vouchers

Louisiana Housing Corporation administers federal public-housing and rental-subsidy programs and maintains housing information for eligible households. Use it to identify state and local options, then confirm the current Lake Charles waitlist and application rules directly.

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher and supportive-services pathway - Lake Charles area; veteran, homelessness, income, screening, and VA eligibility rules apply; not emergency shelter

HUD-VASH Lake Charles Area

Louisiana Housing Authority identifies HUD-VASH vouchers for homeless veterans and their families in the Lake Charles area, administered with VA supportive services. Contact a VA medical center or the HUD-VASH case manager to confirm current eligibility and access.

Official local navigation for housing, food, shelter, health, benefits, and practical needs - Lake Charles; provider hours, eligibility, and capacity must be confirmed; not emergency dispatch

City of Lake Charles Community Resource Guide

The City of Lake Charles maintains a local resource guide identifying housing assistance, food pantries, shelters, Catholic Social Services, Calcasieu Parish Continuum of Care, and other direct providers. Use it as a starting point and confirm every listing before traveling.

Public fixed-route transportation pathway - Lake Charles city limits; route, fare, schedule, accessibility, and service-change rules apply; not emergency transport

Lake Charles Transit Fixed-Route Service

Lake Charles Transit provides fixed-route public transportation within the city's corporate limits. Louisiana DOTD lists current contact information at 337-491-1253; confirm routes, fares, schedules, and accessibility before traveling.

Accessible demand-response transportation pathway for qualified riders with disabilities - Lake Charles city limits; application, functional-eligibility, reservation, shared-ride, and fare rules apply; not emergency transport

Lake Charles Transit Paratransit

Lake Charles Transit offers demand-response paratransit within the city service area for eligible riders with disabilities. Complete the current ADA process and confirm reservations, visitor eligibility, pickup windows, and fares directly; it is not emergency transport.

Qualified outpatient behavioral-health, counseling, psychiatry, medication, addiction, and benefits-access pathway - Calcasieu Parish; clinical, intake, insurance, Medicaid, and capacity rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Imperial Calcasieu HSA Lake Charles Behavioral Health Clinic

Imperial Calcasieu HSA operates a Lake Charles Behavioral Health Clinic and serves residents of Calcasieu and nearby parishes. Current information lists psychiatric evaluation, counseling, addiction support, medication management, and discounted or no-cost access for some eligible recipients; confirm intake directly.

Qualified psychotherapy and medication-management pathway - Lake Charles; clinical assessment, referral, insurance, appointment, and capacity rules apply; not emergency care

Lake Charles Memorial Behavioral Health Clinic

Lake Charles Memorial Behavioral Health Clinic provides psychotherapy and medication management for community members. The clinic directs crisis or mental-health emergencies to the hospital emergency room; call 337-494-2836 or use the current clinic contact to confirm access.

Official public-health, prevention, WIC, immunization, and community-health pathway - Calcasieu Parish; appointment, program, insurance, and eligibility rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Calcasieu Parish Health Unit

Calcasieu Parish Health Unit provides local public-health services, including prevention and family-health pathways. Use the Louisiana Department of Health location page to confirm appointments, documents, services, and eligibility; call 911 for a medical emergency.

Local nonprofit homelessness, meals, clothing, hygiene, and temporary-support pathway - Lake Charles; intake, household, program, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Salvation Army Lake Charles Corps

The Lake Charles Salvation Army lists temporary shelter-related support, meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, and programs intended to help people experiencing homelessness. Confirm current shelter access, hours, and capacity before traveling; call 911 for immediate danger.

Local transitional or emergency housing pathway for single men - Lake Charles; age, household, screening, program, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Lord's Place

The City of Lake Charles resource guide identifies Lord's Place as a local housing pathway for single men. Confirm current intake, eligibility, beds, required identification, and service scope directly before traveling.

Free confidential domestic- and sexual-violence shelter, advocacy, counseling, and support pathway - Calcasieu, Cameron, Allen, and nearby Southwest Louisiana parishes; case-by-case intake and capacity rules apply; call 911 for immediate danger

Oasis A Safe Haven

Oasis provides safe shelter, domestic-violence advocacy, sexual-assault support, medical and legal advocacy, counseling, and community education. Call 888-411-1333 for domestic-violence support or 337-494-7273 for sexual-assault support; confirm safe contact options.

Local nonprofit emergency-assistance, food, utility, and family-support pathway - Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana; household, income, document, program, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana

Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana provides food distributions and may offer rental, mortgage, and utility assistance for eligible households when grant funds are available. Assistance requests are taken by phone, not walk-in; confirm current office, intake, documents, and availability before traveling.

Local homelessness, shelter, coordinated-entry, and housing-navigation pathway - Calcasieu Parish; screening, referral, household, and provider-capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Calcasieu Parish Continuum of Care

The City of Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish identify the local Continuum of Care as a homelessness-response and housing-navigation partner. Use the official city material to ask about coordinated entry, shelter, and current housing resources; confirm eligibility and capacity directly.

Regional nonprofit emergency-food, shelter, disaster, and basic-needs navigation pathway - Southwest Louisiana, including Lake Charles; program, household, disaster, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

United Way of Southwest Louisiana Community Resiliency

United Way of Southwest Louisiana connects residents with immediate-needs and longer-term-stability partners, including emergency food and shelter programs. Use its current resource route to identify a direct provider and confirm access before traveling.

Local nonprofit food-pantry pathway - Lake Charles; schedule, household, service-area, and capacity rules apply; not emergency shelter or medical care

Manna Food Pantry

Manna Ministries operates a food pantry in Lake Charles at 1500 Country Club Road. Confirm current distribution schedule, household documentation, and availability before traveling; use 211 for additional food options.

Regional nonprofit food-bank, pantry, and mobile-food navigation pathway - Southwest Louisiana; household, service-area, schedule, and capacity rules apply; not emergency shelter or medical care

Second Harvest Food Bank Lake Charles Facility

Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana identifies a Lake Charles facility and mobile-pantry network. Use its current food-finder route to identify a direct local partner, then confirm hours and eligibility before traveling.

Free or low-cost civil legal-assistance pathway for eligible Louisiana residents - Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana; income, case type, conflict, intake, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Acadiana Legal Service Corporation - Lake Charles

LouisianaLawHelp identifies Acadiana Legal Service Corporation's Lake Charles office for civil legal help. Use the statewide directory to screen housing, benefits, family, elder, and other civil matters and confirm current intake and eligibility.

Aging, meals, transportation, caregiver, benefits, and older-adult support pathway - Calcasieu Parish; age, referral, program, and capacity rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Calcasieu Council on Aging

Calcasieu Council on Aging develops and delivers services for older adults in the parish, including information and assistance and community-support connections. Use its current service information to confirm meals, transportation, caregiver, and eligibility options.

Official food, cash-assistance, and benefits-application pathway - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; income, household, identity, document, and program rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Louisiana SNAP and Cash Assistance

Louisiana administers SNAP and cash-assistance programs for eligible households. Use the state's current application and screening route or ask 211 for local application help; approval and timing are not guaranteed.

Official Medicaid and eligible-health-coverage pathway - Louisiana, including Calcasieu Parish; income, household, identity, program, and eligibility rules apply; not emergency dispatch

Louisiana Medicaid and Health Coverage

Louisiana Medicaid provides health coverage for eligible residents and maintains current application and program information. Review the state pathway or ask a qualified community provider for application help; approval and coverage are not guaranteed.

Local multi-agency navigation route for food, shelter, health, housing, benefits, transportation, disaster, and practical needs - Calcasieu Parish; provider hours, eligibility, and capacity must be confirmed; not emergency dispatch

Lake Charles Community Resource Navigation

Use the City of Lake Charles resource guide, Louisiana 211, United Way Southwest Louisiana, ImCal HSA, and the Calcasieu Continuum of Care together when a need crosses multiple systems. Confirm every current service before traveling or sharing sensitive information.

A note from the Alliance

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

This guide is anchored in Lake Charles, Louisiana, 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