At one end of the table sits Tony, who showers every day at his local leisure centre in Birkenhead. His landlord won’t fix his bathroom because of his hoarding. Then there’s Sarah, who ended up homeless with her three teenagers after their landlord evicted them for the same reason. In her new home, the problem has started again, but she says she’s terrified to ask for help in case she loses her property.
Sian Cowley, 35, who has struggled with hoarding for decades, says: “I’ve lived without central heating for two years. A lot of us go without basics like hot water, heating, and cooking because we’re too scared to let people in for repairs, fearing eviction.”
The three shared their stories during a Bringing Hoarders Together session, a fortnightly peer support group for hoarders in Wirral, Merseyside, run by Prima Group housing association. There, dozens of people find a safe space to open up about living with their mental health condition.
A Guardian investigation has found that since 2020, UK fire services have recorded a 78% increase in fires involving hoarding, or where “dangerous and excessive storage” was noted. Across the country, fire brigades have logged thousands of homes as high-risk due to hoarding. Last year in London alone, more than 2,000 properties were flagged by the fire service because of the level of hoarding inside, up from 1,200 four years earlier.
People affected by hoarding—formally classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization in 2018—say they’re scared to seek help because they fear eviction and feel trapped in dangerous homes.
Many who have tried to get support say there’s little help available, and a huge stigma still surrounds the disorder, making them feel they’ll be turned away even by qualified mental health professionals.
“You’re better off being a drug addict. You’re better off being an alcoholic,” says Laura Miller, 65, who was offered help after falling on the stairs over built-up clutter. “TV shows about hoarders have just turned it into entertainment, making fun of poor people,” she adds.
Chloe*, who started hoarding after her mother took her own life, says: “As soon as you say you’re a hoarder, people think you’ve got 10,000 cats and loads of cockroaches. But we all have something that’s made us this way—some people turn to sex, drugs, or drink. Ours is stuff.”
To improve support, Prima Group has launched a first-of-its-kind national hoarding pledge for housing providers to sign. Instead of spending thousands on forced clearances or lengthy eviction court battles, they promise to work with residents and get them help.
Jenny Devon, a sustainment and cohesion manager at Prima Group, says: “What often happens is they bring a skip and clear the whole place. But it’s that person’s stuff. It’s so personal—it’s not rubbish. It’s that trinket linked to trauma, or to a parent who’s died. It just needs more empathy. It’s handled so badly. And that’s because people aren’t educated—the worst part is that nobody understands.”
She says there’s a need to keep residents safe, for example by ensuring gas safety checks can be done, but long-term solutions are better than short-term fixes.
Jo Cooke, director of Hoarding Disorders UK, says that in the nearly 15 years she has…A worker who has supported people who hoard says she has never seen a forced clearance or eviction actually help the person. “When the threat of clearance or eviction is hanging over them, it only makes the hoarding worse,” she explains. “It makes hoarders feel violated, and they lose trust in any professionals who might be able to help them.”
According to the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (Iriss), nearly 100% of people who have their property cleared without receiving behavioral therapy will quickly go back to hoarding.
Cowley says social services got involved in her case, and hundreds of pounds were spent on mandatory cleaning. “They would be better off spending that money on peer support groups like this, because this is the only thing that has made a difference for me in 20 years,” she says.
Cooke adds that the charity has supported many people who have had hoarding-related fires, including a woman who lost her husband in a fire earlier this year.
Ruth Cookson, 53, who lives in Prima and helped set up Bringing Hoarders Together four years ago, has struggled with hoarding for decades. She says she was kicked out of her family home at age 22 because of it.
Her current home was flagged for hoarding after a gas safety check, but she ignored letters from her housing association because she was afraid of being evicted. After things got worse during the Covid lockdown, she decided to get help. She says the smell in her house was so bad that anyone who visited had to wear a mask.
“I just couldn’t cope. I didn’t want to hoard, but I didn’t know where to turn,” she says. “I wouldn’t admit I had a problem. I buried my head in the sand.”
She says having a housing officer she could trust was essential, as was being able to go at her own pace. She had some setbacks. Workers who came to help clear the property were rude and told her neighbors about the state of her home. “Before they could start pointing fingers, I put it all on Facebook myself. That was the turning point—when I knew I was going to get the help,” she says.
Now her home is safe and clean, she can finally get the cat she has been desperate for, and she spends time helping people in the support group. “I’m here to say: if you think you can’t do it, yes, you can. I’m living proof that you can,” she says.
*Names have been changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs for the support group People think you have 10000 cats written in a natural conversational tone
General Definition Questions
Q What exactly is People think you have 10000 cats Is it a joke
A No its a real anonymous support group for people who hoard animals The name is a lighthearted way to break the ice about a serious problemthe feeling that your home is so full of animals that people must think you have a massive uncontrolled colony
Q Is this group only for cat hoarders
A No While the name mentions cats the group welcomes anyone who hoards any type of animaldogs birds reptiles rabbits etc The 10000 cats is just a relatable memorable image
Q Do I have to be a hoarder to join Or can I just have a lot of pets
A Youre welcome if you feel your animal collection is out of control causing stress or affecting your health or finances You dont need a clinical diagnosis If youre worried you might be crossing the line from pet lover to hoarder this group is for you
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q Im embarrassed to even show my face Is the group anonymous
A Yes Most meetings use first names only no video required You can even just listen the first few times We understand the shame and judgment you might feel
Q What happens at a typical meeting
A Its a safe nonjudgmental space We take turns sharing struggles and winslike turning down a free kitten cleaning a room or finding a vet who understands No one lectures you We just listen and offer support
Q Do I need to get rid of my animals right away to join
A Absolutely not The groups goal is harm reduction not forced removal We help you make small manageable changeslike stopping new intake getting animals spayedneutered or improving living conditions You set your own pace
Benefits Common Problems
Q How can this group help me when I feel like no one understands
