A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide
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.
Start here - Fight the Blight
Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from New Haven and other communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.
Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, or immediate threat. For behavioral-health crisis support, call or text 988 or call 211 for Connecticut mobile-crisis and service navigation.
First conversations
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.
United Way of Connecticut’s 211 system connects people with local services for housing, food, utility help, elder care, behavioral health, crisis intervention, and more. Search by New Haven address or call to ask for the most relevant pathway. Availability, eligibility, and language access vary by program.
The Connecticut Mental Health Center is operated by Connecticut DMHAS in partnership with Yale Psychiatry. Its current information says no one is denied service for inability to pay, Medicaid and Medicare are accepted, and a discounted or sliding-fee schedule is available. Ask about the right program, intake route, current availability, and whether a hoarding-related concern fits.
New Haven’s Office of Housing and Homelessness Services coordinates a local safety net for people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. The city describes shelter, navigation-hub, prevention, rapid-rehousing, and support-service pathways. It is not a guarantee of shelter, a cleanup program, or a substitute for an emergency call.
The Community Action Agency of New Haven offers energy assistance, case management, aging support, financial-capability programs, and other pathways for people in New Haven and neighboring towns. Its services can help stabilize a household around a hoarding concern, but no specific service or funding is guaranteed. Ask about current intake and eligibility.
New Haven’s Department of Elderly Services focuses on helping residents age 55 and older live independently with dignity and stay connected. The city lists senior centers, advocacy, resource access, and links to aging services. It is not a hoarding-specific or automatic cleanup service; ask about home-based support, caregiver help, and referrals.
Safety and stability
These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve protective services, housing screening, code enforcement, or emergency dispatch.
Connecticut DMHAS directs people in emotional distress or a mental-health or substance-use crisis to call, text, or chat 988. Connecticut’s 211 Contact Center can also connect people to mobile crisis and other services. This is not hoarding-specific treatment or cleanup support; call 911 for immediate medical danger, fire, or a life-threatening emergency.
New Haven lists shelters, seasonal warming centers, and navigation hubs that connect people with meals, showers, laundry, health and wellness care, housing navigation, transportation, and other supports. The city says shelters operate on a referral basis through 211; warming centers may be first-come, first-served and seasonal. Availability is not guaranteed.
The Livable City Initiative is New Haven’s primary housing-enforcement agency. Residents can report housing-code or anti-blight concerns, and inspectors may investigate and issue violation notices when warranted. This is an enforcement pathway, not a consent-based support or cleanup service; ask about process, accommodations, deadlines, and possible consequences.
Connecticut DSS Protective Services for the Elderly investigates reports involving abuse, neglect, self-neglect, abandonment, and exploitation. The program’s stated goals include preserving self-determination, helping a person remain where they prefer when possible, and coordinating services. This is not a routine cleanup intake; call to understand whether the concern fits and what choices remain with the older adult.
Elm City Communities operates affordable communities and housing pathways for New Haven residents. Its current public notice says the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist closed effective May 1, 2026, so applicants should confirm current status directly and ask about public-housing applications, reasonable accommodations, and other openings. This is not emergency shelter or cleanup funding.
Connecticut DMHAS says people who are homeless or at imminent risk should call 211 and select option 3, then option 1, to begin the Coordinated Access Network process. The Greater New Haven CAN can assess housing needs and connect people with community providers. Calling does not guarantee shelter, rental assistance, or housing placement.
The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders helps eligible older adults remain at home through an assessment and a plan of care that can include personal care, homemaker services, and other supports. It is not an automatic cleaning service or a hoarding-disorder program; ask about exact covered services, provider availability, cost share, and wait time.
People and practical help
These listings offer local connections for care, education, housing, organizing, or disposal. They are independent organizations; ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
New Haven’s current bulk-trash guidance says eligible homeowners receive one free appointment per calendar year, while additional appointments and tenant appointments cost $50. The page also says bulk appointments may be temporarily suspended and that not every property is eligible. Confirm current scheduling, accepted items, fees, and safety rules before setting anything outside.
New Haven provides residential drop-off at 260 Middletown Avenue, with current guidance describing Monday-through-Saturday hours and an ID requirement. The site lists separate rules for construction debris and hazardous waste. Confirm current hours, vehicle requirements, accepted materials, fees, and safe transport before moving anything.
CAANH administers Connecticut energy assistance pathways for eligible households and describes possible help with heating costs, utility mediation, shut-off protection, and weatherization referrals. Energy assistance can stabilize a home but is not hoarding-specific funding or cleanup support. Confirm the current season, income guidelines, documents, and application route.
New Haven’s aging-services resource page points to the Agency on Aging of South-Central Connecticut for in-home and community supports. The agency’s programs may help older adults or people with disabilities remain connected to care and transportation. Ask about current eligibility, service area, caregiver support, and whether home-management assistance is available.
The International OCD Foundation directory can help people search for therapists, programs, support groups, organizers, and task forces related to hoarding. IOCDF says directory entries are not endorsements and information can change; confirm credentials, hoarding-specific experience, insurance, fees, service area, privacy, and fit directly.
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.
Unburied, from The Peer Tree, is a judgment-free digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns and for friends and family. It can offer ongoing connection, tools, and momentum from New Haven or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, or emergency support.
A note from the Alliance
A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or state 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