SINGAPORE, March 15 — The number of active hoarding cases managed by Singapore’s dedicated task forces has nearly doubled in under four years, surging from 253 in December 2021 to 450 by June last year, according to the latest government figures.
According to CNA, the sharp increase comes as a new coordinated initiative, the New Environment Action Team (NEAT), marks just over a year of operations. Launched in January 2025, NEAT was established to bring together a “whole-of-society” response to the complex and often deeply entrenched issue of hoarding.
The alliance comprises 31 organisations, including social service agencies like Tzu-Chi Foundation and Habitat for Humanity, community groups, trade associations, government bodies such as the Housing & Development Board, and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
Before NEAT, organisations often worked in isolation, a challenge particularly evident when a hoarder needed both psychiatric help and practical decluttering support.
“This alliance has brought everyone together,” said Roy Khoo to CNA, treasurer of the Singapore Contractors Association Limited, which provides logistical support for cleaning and repairs. “When everyone works together, there’s a multiplier effect … it becomes one plus one equals three.”
The coordinated approach allows for a seamless handover of care. For instance, if a hoarder referred to IMH is found not to have an underlying mental health condition, they are referred back to a social service agency for follow-up. Dr Chris Tan, deputy director of IMH’s Community Mental Health Team, noted that NEAT has created a framework allowing mental health treatment to integrate better with community interventions.
Experts emphasise that hoarding is not a simple matter of choice or laziness. Dr Tan explained that hoarders often have genuine difficulties with planning, categorisation, and decision-making. “When we see someone struggling to discard items, their brain may literally be experiencing distress signals - it’s not simply a choice or a character flaw,” he said.
Underlying causes can include traumatic experiences with loss, insecure attachment styles from childhood, or psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety.
As Singapore grapples with the rising number of cases, members of NEAT are calling for greater public empathy and a shift away from stigmatising labels like “lazy” or “messy.” They urge the public to use official channels like the OneService app to report concerns, rather than sharing photos on social media for public ridicule.
The ultimate goal, experts say, is not to “cure” hoarding but to help individuals manage it long-term through frequent check-ins, recurrent small-scale decluttering, and sustained community support. “Most patients don’t actually overcome hoarding; they learn to manage it,” Tan said. “Rehabilitation requires a family, community, and whole-of-society approach.”
