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 in New Castle County.
Start here - Fight the Blight
Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Wilmington, New Castle County, 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 the Delaware HopeLine at 1-833-946-7333.
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.
Delaware 211 offers free, confidential information and referral for housing, emergency shelter, utilities, food, mental health, substance use, medical, legal, and other community needs. Ask for Wilmington or New Castle County options and confirm current hours, eligibility, capacity, and referral requirements.
Wilmington's housing department points residents toward housing counselors, emergency housing, home-repair programs, eviction-prevention resources, and other housing pathways. It is a useful place to ask which city or partner program fits a housing-safety concern; it is not a hoarding-specific response or emergency shelter.
Delaware's ADRC helps older adults, adults with physical disabilities, caregivers, and families identify home and community services, benefits, transportation, housing, care planning, and support options. Ask for the New Castle County pathway and confirm whether an assessment or program-specific eligibility applies.
The State Service Center's ASSIST portal screens or accepts applications for Medicaid, food benefits, cash assistance, LIHEAP, long-term care, WIC, and other supports. It may help when a housing or health concern is connected to limited income. Review the current document and eligibility requirements before applying.
OCD Delaware is a Delaware nonprofit and IOCDF affiliate offering education, community support, and information about OCD and related concerns. It is not a hoarding-specific provider or emergency service, but it may help people and families locate informed support. Confirm current programs and fit directly.
The International OCD Foundation's hoarding directory can help people search for therapists, programs, support groups, organizers, and task forces. Availability, credentials, insurance, fees, and service area can change. Use it as a starting point and confirm every detail with the provider.
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.
Delaware's 988 service provides free, confidential crisis support. The Delaware HopeLine and Northern Delaware crisis hotline provide additional behavioral-health connections, and the state describes mobile outreach options when a crisis assessment indicates an in-person response may help. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a medical emergency.
Delaware DHSS lists a Northern Delaware crisis hotline for behavioral-health support. This is a crisis pathway, not routine organizing, cleaning, or housing navigation. Call 911 for an immediate threat or medical emergency, or use 988 for nationwide crisis support.
Adult Protective Services accepts reports involving adults 18 and older who may be experiencing abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation. Reports can be confidential or anonymous, and the service is voluntary for a capable adult. This is a protective-services pathway, not a routine cleanup referral; call 911 for immediate danger.
Wilmington's Department of Licenses and Inspections handles housing inspections, code enforcement, and public-nuisance concerns. Residents inside the city can use 311 for service requests; use this pathway for a property-safety or code concern, not as a substitute for consent-based support, emergency dispatch, or clinical care.
The Wilmington Fire Marshal's Office describes code-enforcement and fire-safety responsibilities, including complaints and emergency-plan concerns. Use it when blocked exits, fire hazards, or other life-safety issues need city attention. Call 911 for an active fire, medical emergency, or immediate threat.
Wilmington's emergency-housing page lists shelter, transitional-housing, and financial-assistance pathways, including Catholic Charities. The city advises calling 311 for current access information. This is for housing instability and basic-needs emergencies, not a guaranteed placement or cleanup service.
The Delaware State Housing Authority directs people who need emergency shelter or homelessness assistance to Delaware 211 or the Housing Alliance Delaware centralized-intake line. DSHA states that it does not provide emergency shelter directly. Confirm the current intake route and available options before relying on a referral.
The New Castle County Housing Authority provides a public-housing and affordable-housing entry point for county residents. Waitlists, vacancies, program rules, and reasonable-accommodation processes can change. Contact the authority directly; this is not a hoarding-specific program or emergency shelter.
Wilmington's Utility Payment Assistance Program may provide up to $1,500 toward a qualifying city water account for eligible residents and customers. The city lists income, residency, account-age, and delinquency requirements, and funds may be limited or first-come. Confirm current eligibility and documents before applying.
DSHA's housing guidance identifies rental assistance, eviction-prevention partners, subsidized rental programs, and supportive-housing pathways. The page lists partner contacts for Wilmington-area residents, but program openings and documentation change. Confirm current intake before depending on a referral.
People and practical help
These listings offer connections for care, education, housing, organizing, transportation, or disposal. They are independent organizations; ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
Wilmington's homeowner-resource page points to the Statewide Emergency Repair Program and other repair options for qualified low-income Delaware owner-occupants, including health and safety repairs. Availability and eligibility can change, so confirm the current program, service area, and application path before planning work.
Delaware DSS provides food-benefit and other assistance pathways through ASSIST, and its information points residents toward LIHEAP and local emergency food resources. These programs do not provide hoarding cleanup, but they may reduce pressure when utilities, food, or household stability are part of the situation. Confirm current rules and documentation.
Delaware's caregiver-support system connects families with resource centers, support groups, respite information, and referrals. New Castle County resources include Wilmington-area senior and caregiver organizations. Ask which current resource center or assessment fits the situation; this is not emergency or clinical care.
OCD Delaware offers education and community resources for people affected by OCD and related concerns, including family members and supporters. It is not a promise of hoarding-specific treatment or a crisis response. Confirm current groups, events, accessibility, and referral scope directly.
The IOCDF organizer directory can help identify organizers who state that they work with hoarding-related concerns. A directory listing is not an endorsement, credential guarantee, or promise of local availability. Ask about experience, consent-based pacing, privacy, disposal practices, cost, and scope before hiring.
This independent NAPO directory profile identifies Kim Mazewski, CPO, serving Wilmington and describing work with chronic disorganization, ADHD, and brain-based conditions. The profile does not establish an Alliance endorsement or a hoarding-specialist credential. Contact the organizer directly to confirm current availability, fit, fees, privacy, and boundaries.
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 Wilmington or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, or emergency support.
A note from the Alliance
This guide is anchored in Wilmington, the county seat of New Castle County, and includes city, countywide, and statewide 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