Funding for hoarding programs has been in the news this week.
First it was off, then common sense prevailed and it was on again.
A hoarding support trial program run by Woden Community Service in Canberra reported positive results. However, it was reported on November 10th that the trail would not receive ongoing funding from the ACT government despite an evaluation showing those proven positive results.
This was despite hoarding being flagged as a problem, with ACT Opposition Leader Alistair Coe proposing harsher penalties. You can read Jasper Lindell’s article here.
But there is some good news. Jasper Lindell reported a week later, on November 17th, that funding had been granted to the tune of $300,000 for an 18-month extension of the program. Jasper’s article is behind a paywall. But you can read about that breakthrough here.
It is disappointing when leaders can’t see the value in remediation programs for hoarding. Wherever we go and whenever we speak with support staff we hear the cry for funding. It is a constant lament in this field.
The people of Canberra have had a win. Hopefully this can continue into the future, but it seems that overall, there is little funding coming through the pipeline from above. Our approach is that while waiting for funding to appear, we’ll just have to empower the people on the ground with practical strategies that don’t rely on big bucks.
On the subject of funding to resolve hoarding, here’s another article out of San Diego. Since 2004 a 1% levy on personal income over $1 million has raised about $15 billion for mental health treatment and services.
And at the other end of the scale, someone in Illinois has turned to gofundme to get their initiative off the ground.
Have you encountered some creative funding arrangements for hoarding situations?
