A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Pontiac, Michigan.

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, health, or practical concern in Pontiac or elsewhere in Oakland County.

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

Start here - Fight the Blight

You do not have to solve the whole situation before asking for help.

Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Pontiac, Oakland County, and nearby communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.

For immediate danger

Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, violence, or immediate threat. Oakland Community Health Network provides 24-hour crisis support at 888-238-0611 and at its Resource and Crisis Center in Pontiac; call or text 988 for nationwide crisis support. For an Oakland County housing crisis, call Community Housing Network at 248-269-1335.

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.

Aging, disability, caregiver, meals, transportation, in-home support, long-term-care, and benefits navigation - Oakland County and Southeast Michigan; age, disability, assessment, funding, and program rules apply

AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services

AgeWays helps older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers connect with local services, including options counseling, community living support, Meals on Wheels, transportation, respite, Medicare guidance, and long-term-care programs. Ask what serves Pontiac and what assessment, cost, eligibility, or waitlist applies. It is not emergency dispatch or guaranteed cleanup funding.

Qualified public behavioral-health assessment, substance-use access, care coordination, and provider connection - Oakland County; residence, clinical need, insurance, Medicaid, program, and capacity rules apply

Oakland Community Health Network Access Services

OCHN Access Services screens Oakland County residents for public mental-health, substance-use, and developmental-disability services and connects eligible people with network providers. Phone and walk-in screening are available, with a Resource and Crisis Center in Pontiac. Ask whether hoarding concerns fit and what coverage or documentation applies. This is qualified care, not organizing or cleanup.

Lived-experience-led peer and family support, education, and advocacy - Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties; current group schedule, location, format, registration, and program rules vary

NAMI Metro

NAMI Metro offers peer and family support groups, education, and advocacy across Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties. These services are not hoarding-specific treatment, crisis response, or cleanup. Confirm current meeting dates, location, accessibility, registration, and cost before attending.

Free, confidential, 24/7 community-resource navigation - Michigan, including Pontiac and Oakland County; provider eligibility, funding, hours, and capacity vary

Michigan 211

Call 211 or search Michigan 211 for current housing, shelter, food, utilities, health care, transportation, benefits, and other local services. Ask for Pontiac or Oakland County options and confirm details with each provider. A referral does not guarantee funding, an appointment, shelter, transportation, or another placement, and 211 is not emergency dispatch.

Qualified-care, organizer, taskforce, and support search - national directory with Michigan and telehealth options; listings are not endorsements and licensure, cost, insurance, waitlist, and service-area rules vary

IOCDF Hoarding Resource Directory

The International OCD Foundation directory can be searched for clinicians, programs, support groups, organizers, and taskforces that identify hoarding-related experience. Providers submit their information and IOCDF does not endorse their competence. Verify credentials, fees, insurance, privacy, availability, and whether in-home or telehealth work fits. This is not emergency response.

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 police, fire, or medical dispatch - Pontiac and surrounding jurisdictions; use for fire, serious injury, violence, or an 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 planned service. Emergency dispatch is not a hoarding-support program, counseling service, housing placement, or cleanup provider.

24/7 behavioral-health crisis line, walk-in Resource and Crisis Center, assessment, stabilization, and follow-up connection - Oakland County; clinical triage, response, insurance, and capacity rules apply

Oakland Community Health Network Crisis Services

OCHN provides around-the-clock crisis support and operates the Resource and Crisis Center at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Building 32E, in Pontiac. Call the crisis line or walk in to ask what response fits. Call 911 for fire, serious injury, violence, or another immediate threat; these services are not housing placement or cleanup.

Free, confidential, 24/7 emotional-distress, mental-health, and substance-use crisis support - Michigan; trained crisis counselors, with local routing that varies by caller area code

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline / Michigan Crisis and Access Line

Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, a mental-health or substance-use crisis, or concern about someone else. Michigan's crisis line also connects people with statewide support. Call 911 for fire, serious injury, violence, or another immediate threat; 988 does not replace emergency dispatch.

24/7 reporting, assessment, referral, and protection for suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults - Michigan, including Pontiac and Oakland County; statutory screening and response criteria apply

Michigan Adult Protective Services

Michigan Adult Protective Services accepts reports when a vulnerable adult may be experiencing abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation. APS coordinates accepted concerns with local systems while respecting applicable self-determination rights. It is not a general cleanup line; call 911 for immediate danger.

Free, confidential 24/7 domestic-violence and sexual-assault crisis support, safety planning, advocacy, counseling, and emergency shelter - Oakland County; safe-contact, intake, household, and shelter-capacity rules apply

HAVEN

HAVEN serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Oakland County and operates a 24-hour crisis line and short-term emergency shelter in Pontiac. Use a safe device or phone when privacy is a concern. Call 911 for immediate danger. Shelter is not guaranteed, and HAVEN is not hoarding-specific care or cleanup.

Building, property-maintenance, rental, permit, and code-enforcement authority - Pontiac city limits; complaint, inspection, notice, fee, appeal, and enforcement rules apply

City of Pontiac Building Safety and Code Enforcement

Pontiac's Community Development enforcement staff administer building and property-maintenance requirements. This is a regulatory pathway that may lead to an inspection, notice, deadlines, costs, or enforcement. Consider the person's safety, housing stability, consent, and available support before using it. It is not emergency dispatch, legal representation, organizing help, or guaranteed relocation.

Public-health and environmental-health information, lead prevention, communicable-disease services, inspections, and referrals - Oakland County; issue, program, jurisdiction, fee, and eligibility rules apply

Oakland County Health Division

The county Health Division helps residents identify public-health and environmental-health pathways, including concerns involving sanitation, lead, water, food, waste, and communicable disease. Call with the specific concern and ask which program or jurisdiction fits. It is not emergency cleanup, medical emergency response, or a general hoarding service; call 911 for immediate danger.

Free housing screening and connection to homelessness response, affordable housing, rental help, and supportive housing - Oakland County; assessment, referral, documentation, prioritization, funding, and capacity rules apply

Community Housing Network Housing Resource Center

Community Housing Network is Oakland County's designated Housing Assessment and Resource Agency. Its Housing Resource Center screens callers and connects them with current housing and homelessness programs based on eligibility and circumstance. A screening does not guarantee funding, shelter, or housing, and this is not emergency dispatch.

Emergency shelter, food, homelessness prevention, rehousing, and stability services - Pontiac and Oakland County; intake, household, documentation, conduct, program, and bed-capacity rules apply

Lighthouse Emergency Shelter

Lighthouse operates emergency shelter and broader housing-stability services from its Pontiac network. Call before traveling to confirm the correct entry point, current space, and intake requirements. Shelter or placement is not guaranteed, and Lighthouse is not emergency dispatch or hoarding-specific care.

County animal-control reporting, shelter, pet-adoption, lost-and-found, and animal-welfare guidance - Pontiac and Oakland County; jurisdiction, evidence, hours, fee, and shelter-capacity rules apply

Oakland County Animal Control and Pet Adoption Center

Oakland County Animal Control handles animal-control reports during business hours, while the Pet Adoption Center provides shelter and lost-and-found pathways from the county campus in Pontiac. Call before transporting an animal and ask what response, documentation, or fee applies. After-hours reports go through local law enforcement. Call 911 for an immediate threat to human life.

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, Housing Choice Vouchers, applicant information, tenant services, and housing-resource connection - Pontiac and participating Oakland County communities; income, household, screening, documentation, waitlist, and availability rules apply

Pontiac Housing Commission

The Pontiac Housing Commission manages public and assisted-housing pathways and Housing Choice Vouchers. Its site showed the voucher waiting list closed at review, so check current announcements and call before visiting. Lists and intake procedures can change, selection can take time, and an application does not guarantee placement. This is not emergency shelter or cleanup.

Oakland County Continuum of Care planning, coordinated-entry standards, funding coordination, and homelessness-system information - Oakland County; direct help begins with a listed access point and capacity is not guaranteed

Alliance for Housing

Alliance for Housing coordinates Oakland County's community response to homelessness and affordable housing. Its system brings together shelters, housing agencies, nonprofits, and public partners. For individual help, start with Community Housing Network or another current coordinated-entry access point. The Alliance does not guarantee shelter, funding, or housing.

Free HUD-certified counseling for foreclosure, property tax, tenant rights, housing discrimination, home repair, affordability, credit, and homelessness prevention - Oakland County; program and referral eligibility vary

Oakland County Housing Counseling

Oakland County housing counselors provide confidential information, education, and referrals. Ask about mortgage or tax foreclosure, tenant concerns, home repairs, subsidized housing, rental assistance, or fair-housing issues. Counseling does not guarantee money, repairs, legal representation, or housing, and deadlines continue while seeking help.

Free civil legal advice and possible representation for eligible low-income people and older adults - Pontiac office and Southeast Michigan service area; income, issue, conflict, deadline, and case-acceptance rules apply

Lakeshore Legal Aid

Lakeshore Legal Aid's Oakland litigation office is in Pontiac and handles eligible civil matters that may include housing, public benefits, consumer, family, and elder-law issues. Apply through the current hotline or intake route and protect court or eviction deadlines while waiting. An inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship or guarantee representation.

In-person housing-law clinic for low-income Pontiac residents who are not already represented - recurring local clinic; date, appointment, conflict, issue, deadline, and capacity rules apply

Pontiac Housing Clinic

Lakeshore Legal Aid holds a recurring housing clinic in Pontiac for eligible residents who want to speak with a housing attorney. Check the current schedule before traveling and bring relevant documents. If a court deadline comes first, call the legal-aid hotline immediately. Attendance does not create representation or guarantee a particular outcome.

Community-action navigation for benefits, food, utilities, water affordability, family support, and other practical needs - Oakland County; residence, income, household, documentation, funding, and appointment rules apply

OLHSA Community and Energy Services

Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency helps residents connect with public benefits and practical programs, including food and nutrition, energy and water help, WIC, and other community services. Ask which Pontiac-area intake is open and what documents are needed. Help is not automatic, and these programs do not fund general decluttering or emergency cleanup.

Free energy audit and eligible energy-efficiency or health-and-safety improvements - qualifying Oakland County homeowners and renters; income, ownership or lease, property condition, documentation, and funding rules apply

OLHSA Weatherization Assistance Program

OLHSA weatherization can provide an energy audit and approved work such as insulation, smoke and carbon-monoxide detector evaluation, or furnace and water-heater testing, repair, or possible replacement. Confirm current income limits, landlord permissions, property suitability, wait time, and funding. It does not cover general decluttering and is not emergency repair.

Community meals, emergency food, clothing, showers, laundry, and practical support - Pontiac; current hours, availability, household, identification, and program rules vary

Baldwin Center

Baldwin Center serves Pontiac neighbors through food, clothing, and practical-support programs. Check the live site or call before traveling because construction access, hours, distributions, and program capacity can change. Services are not emergency dispatch, housing placement, hoarding treatment, or cleanup.

Free food-distribution finder and partner network - Pontiac, Oakland County, and metro Detroit; schedules, locations, supply, weather closures, and site requirements can change

Forgotten Harvest Find Food

Forgotten Harvest lists mobile and partner food distributions across Oakland County, including current Pontiac locations when available. Check the live schedule shortly before traveling and confirm with the host when possible. Public distributions are free, but food and timing are not guaranteed. This is not emergency dispatch or household cleanup.

Fixed-route buses, FAST Woodward, SMART Flex, Connector, and ADA paratransit - Pontiac and regional service area; fares, reservations, disability certification, hours, routes, and capacity rules apply

SMART Pontiac Transportation

SMART lists fixed routes serving Pontiac plus on-demand Flex, advance-reservation Connector, and ADA paratransit options. Review the current map, fare, service zone, reservation window, accessibility rules, and schedule before relying on a ride. Transportation is not emergency medical service and does not guarantee same-day availability.

Free volunteer-supported home repair and accessibility work for qualifying low-income homeowners - Oakland County; ownership, occupancy, income, mortgage, tax, insurance, scope, funding, and volunteer-capacity rules apply

Rebuilding Together Southeast Michigan

Rebuilding Together Southeast Michigan helps eligible Oakland County homeowners with safety-focused repairs and accessibility work. Priority and available scope depend on funding and volunteers, and applications require household and property documentation. Confirm current intake before applying. The program does not provide emergency repair, general decluttering, or guaranteed work.

Registered household hazardous-waste collection events - Pontiac participates at no resident fee in 2026; proof of residence, event registration, material, quantity, transport, date, and capacity rules apply

Oakland County NoHaz

NoHaz provides scheduled collection events for accepted household chemicals, paint, batteries, electronics, and other hazardous materials. Pontiac is listed as a participating community with no resident fee for 2026, but registration and proof of residence are still required. Check the live page for dates and accepted materials before moving anything. Never mix unknown chemicals or use ordinary trash for hazardous waste.

Peer-run recovery community, groups, social connection, family consultation, and wellness programming - Oakland County; membership, referral, schedule, transportation, and program rules vary

My Place Center for Wellness

My Place is a peer-run mental-health recovery center serving Oakland County from Oak Park. It offers peer support, recovery programming, social connection, and family consultation. Ask whether the current program and transportation options fit a Pontiac resident. It is not hoarding-specific treatment, crisis response, housing placement, or cleanup.

County homelessness-system information, outreach locations, shelter and housing-partner navigation - Oakland County; individual intake occurs through current providers and assessment, documentation, prioritization, and capacity rules apply

Oakland County Homeless Services

Oakland County's homeless-services page explains the local system and identifies current outreach and community partners, including a recurring Pontiac outreach location at Baldwin Center. Use Community Housing Network for an individual housing assessment and verify event timing before traveling. The county page does not guarantee shelter, funds, or housing.

Private-pay groups, family guidance, organizing, decluttering, deep-cleaning, and practical support - Pontiac and Michigan availability depends on scope, travel, consent, safety, and scheduling; fees apply

The Peer Tree

The Peer Tree is the private-pay pathway when a grant or public program is not the right fit. Ask about groups, family guidance, sorting and organizing, decluttering, deep cleaning, service area, scope, cost, travel, consent, and safety. The Peer Tree is not emergency response or clinical treatment.

Digital peer-support pathway for people affected by clutter and hoarding concerns and for friends or family - available online; account, feature, group, and access rules may apply; not therapy or emergency support

Unburied

Unburied offers a judgment-free digital space with personal and supporter pathways, structured tools, peer connection, safety resources, and ongoing momentum. It is developed and operated by The Peer Tree. Unburied is not therapy, clinical care, crisis response, emergency service, or a substitute for local qualified help.

A note from the Alliance

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

This guide is anchored in Pontiac, Michigan, 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