‘People think you’ve got 10,000 cats’: the support group for hoarders

Many people who struggle with hoarding are trapped in a painful cycle of fear. Per The Guardian, a UK housing association is taking a more empathetic approach. Those affected describe a perverse incentive: they avoid calling for repairs because they're terrified their landlords will evict them. One woman hasn't had central heating for two years rather than risk having workers in her home. Another was homeless with her three teenagers after eviction but is repeating the pattern in new housing, too scared to ask for help. The barrier isn't the hoarding itself — it's the threat of losing their home.

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