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Singapore

COVID-19 pandemic has worsened hoarding situation, say volunteer groups that help declutter homes

One social welfare group says in a block of flats with over 300 units, volunteers can come across more than 15 hoarding cases.

COVID-19 pandemic has worsened hoarding situation, say volunteer groups that help declutter homes

Volunteer groups that help to declutter homes believe the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hoarding situation here.

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SINGAPORE: Volunteer groups that help to declutter homes believe the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hoarding situation here. 

These volunteer groups cited movement restrictions and panic buying during the pandemic as some reasons for the problem. 

“We do see a rise in cases being referred to us, especially hoarding, since COVID-19 happened. Previously, we received maybe one to two cases every few months, but recently we received quite a lot more,” said Mr Andrew Setiawan, lead for housing charity Habitat for Humanity Singapore’s Project HomeWorks.

The programme helps vulnerable families and seniors have a safe and sanitary place to live in. 

“I think COVID-19 actually kind of affected people more. They follow people to just panic buy everything. At the end of the day, once the (COVID-19) restrictions start to loosen up, they are not able to use up all these (items, including) tissue papers and so on and these are put somewhere in the house,” said Mr Setiawan. 

DIFFICULTIES GETTING RID OF ITEMS

Hoarding happens when people collect or keep too many items that they do not need, he added. 

“Everything starts to pile up and they are not able to declutter or part ways with these items. Hence, the house is cluttered and they have no pathways to move around the house,” he said.

Volunteer network Keeping Hope Alive said that in a block of flats with over 300 units, volunteers can come across more than 15 hoarding cases. 

“In these few years, we have seen more cases of hoarding. So (things) pile up month after month, year after year. They pile until they forget,” said Ms Fion Phua, founder of the social welfare group. 

She said it is not unusual for volunteers to open a fridge to find odd items such as toilet paper and hand sanitisers, or a rice cooker stored inside a washing machine. 

A flat cluttered with various items. Volunteer groups that help to declutter homes believe the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hoarding situation here.

“They really pile everything,” said Ms Phua. “So now it's more on sorting out. Last time, (volunteers would check for) expired items and clear them. Now, you have to organise it.”

Sometimes, people hide money inside kettles, she added. “They said (during the COVID-19) circuit breaker, they cannot go to the bank, so they keep money inside the kettle,” explained Ms Phua.

A MORE CONDUCIVE LIVING ENVIRONMENT

In some households, the hoarding problem could have been avoided, but sometimes the situation is not so simple, said observers.

A homeowner, who only wanted to be known as Ms Aaliyah, said her husband has a habit of going to garbage bins to look for things that can be reused in order to save money, such as toys for their children. 

“That’s how things started getting cluttered in our house,” she said. “Because we have financial issues, we try not to buy things.”

Volunteers often see homes go back to their cluttered state soon after a clean-up.

The hoarding problem has also affected the couple’s relationship. 

“Whenever we talk about this or whenever we touch on this issue, we will actually have an argument. So to avoid the argument, I will always have to pretend that there isn't any problem,” she said. 

“It affects my mental health. Most of the time, I am the one who has to clean up the house.”

Ms Aaliyah looks forward to having better living conditions for her children, so they can have a conducive environment to learn and do their homework. 

She said: “In the future, I hope to declutter my house and to renovate, so that I can have a better environment and start a home-based business when I can have proper space in the kitchen.”

Hoarding happens when people collect or keep too many items that they do not need, says one housing charity.

MAKING DECLUTTERING SUSTAINABLE

Goodie bags and other freebies are also contributing to the problem, said volunteer groups. At times, beneficiaries may get more than what they need.

“Some of the goodie bags that (are given) are not catered to the homeowners' preferences, or certain homeowners might have certain medical issues like diabetes and all that, and some of these items are not (suitable) for them to consume,” said Mr Setiawan. 

“That’s why these items that they cannot consume, they just put them in the house. And then a few months down the line, somebody else will give it to them again, and they keep piling.”

Often, volunteer groups see homes go back to their cluttered state soon after a clean-up.

Mr Setiawan said that there is a need to make decluttering sustainable, and help people with hoarding behaviours change their mindset. 

“So what we do is once we are done with a particular area, we will bring the homeowner in to show them that this area is cleared. So the next time we come, we want to see that this area is actually still cleared,” he added. 

“This will show whether they are still having this behaviour of hoarding items or if there is some improvement.”

Source: CNA/ca(fk)
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