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, benefits, or practical concern.
Start here - Fight the Blight
Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Providence 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 contact BH Link at (401) 414-5465.
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 Rhode Island describes 211 as the statewide front door to social services. Call to ask about housing, food, utilities, benefits, transportation, caregiver support, and local community-action programs. It is a navigation service, not a guarantee of funding, shelter, or cleanup.
Rhode Island DHS administers or connects residents to programs including SNAP, RI Works, general public assistance, energy assistance, Medicaid and Medicare programs, and long-term services and supports. Ask which program fits the person’s income, disability, age, household, and housing situation; benefits are not automatic.
OCD Rhode Island is a donor-supported nonprofit and official International OCD Foundation affiliate serving people affected by OCD and related disorders, families, and professionals. It may offer education, support, and treatment-navigation information; confirm current groups, events, and provider connections directly.
Birchview Center describes Providence-based treatment for hoarding disorder, OCD, anxiety, and related conditions using approaches including CBT, ERP, and motivational strategies. This is an independent clinical provider, not an Alliance endorsement or emergency service. Ask about current intake, insurance, fees, age range, and whether the treatment fits the person’s goals.
Butler Hospital describes an intensive outpatient program for adults with OCD and anxiety disorders using exposure-based treatment. Hoarding-related fit, insurance coverage, fees, referral requirements, and current openings must be confirmed directly; this is clinical care, not cleanup or emergency response.
Safety and stability
These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve protective services, housing screening, or emergency dispatch.
BH Link is a 24/7 community-based facility where clinicians connect Rhode Island adults 18 and older with immediate stabilizing behavioral-health services and longer-term recovery supports. It is at 975 Waterman Avenue in East Providence. Call or text 988, or call 401-414-5465; call 911 for immediate medical danger, fire, or a life-threatening emergency.
Call, text, or chat with 988 for emotional distress, mental-health, or substance-use crisis support. Counselors can listen, help with safety planning, and connect people to local services. This is not a hoarding-specific cleanup or housing line; call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, or immediate threat to life.
Rhode Island’s Office of Healthy Aging identifies cluttered, filthy, or seriously disordered living conditions as possible self-neglect concerns when an older adult cannot meet essential needs. Protective Services can assess and connect people to supports, but it is not a routine cleanup service. Ask about the person’s rights, choices, and the least intrusive next step.
Providence 311 explains how to report housing-code violations so the City can assess minimum health and safety conditions. This is an enforcement pathway, not a consent-based support or cleanup program. When safety allows, consider starting with a person-centered conversation and ask the City about process, deadlines, accommodations, and possible consequences.
The Rhode Island Executive Office of Housing lists Regional Access Points and shelters for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Providence’s Crossroads RAP can provide housing problem-solving, assessments, referrals, documentation help, and transportation support. This is not a guarantee of shelter, rental assistance, or placement.
Crossroads Rhode Island provides basic-needs support, case management, emergency shelter, housing, and employment services. It operates housing and shelter programs for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Contact the organization or a Regional Access Point to confirm eligibility, availability, and the right entry point.
The Providence Housing Authority provides public housing, project-based assistance, and Housing Choice Voucher pathways for eligible households, including older adults and people with disabilities. The PHA says its Section 8 waitlist remains open through the statewide process, but openings and eligibility can change. Confirm current application rules, reasonable accommodations, and waitlist status directly.
RIHousing connects Rhode Islanders with rental assistance, voucher and project-based programs, homeowner assistance, community lending, and housing resources. Use it when hoarding concerns overlap with housing instability, repairs, affordability, or relocation. Confirm current eligibility, funding, waitlists, and whether the address fits the program.
People and practical help
These listings may help with benefits, household stability, in-home supports, disposal, or ongoing peer connection. They are independent organizations; ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
Rhode Island DHS lists LIHEAP, weatherization, and heating-system repair or replacement pathways intended to help eligible households remain safe and warm. These programs do not pay for general decluttering or cleanup, but may reduce a related utility or heating burden. Confirm current eligibility, documentation, and local intake.
Rhode Island DHS describes Medicaid long-term services and supports for people with disabilities or chronic care needs in the home and community. Depending on eligibility and assessment, related supports may include personal care, household tasks, and care coordination. This is not hoarding-specific cleanup; ask what services can be authorized for the actual functional need.
Rhode Island’s older-adult resource page points to Medicaid, home care, SNAP, meals, transportation, protective services, and other supports for people age 65 and older and their caregivers. These pathways may help stabilize a household when aging, disability, or self-neglect is part of the picture; confirm current intake and scope.
Providence 311 provides a route for reporting trash, recycling, yard-waste, and bulky-item pickup concerns. The City’s current guidance also lists a Saturday drop-off option for up to two mattresses or box springs for residents with identification. Confirm current limits, accepted items, and safe transport before moving anything.
RIRRC provides statewide guidance on recycling, bulky materials, e-waste, and household hazardous waste. Use the current rules to avoid unsafe transport or illegal disposal, and confirm whether a load requires an appointment, fee, proof of residency, or a specialized route.
The Peer Tree offers nonclinical hoarding and clutter support, including organizing help, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps. Ask about current 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 Providence 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