SINGAPORE: Residents of an HDB block in Bedok North have recently raised concerns about an elderly man living alone who has a severe hoarding problem. His flat is overflowing with clutter, the common corridor outside his unit is blocked with items, and he has even taken over parts of the ground floor — including storing more than 10 supermarket shopping carts there.
According to Shin Min Daily News, a 60-year-old female resident said the man not only hoards obsessively but also keeps his living space extremely dirty and messy, causing a strong foul odour to spread through the corridor. She added that she moved into the block four years ago, but only in the past few months has she noticed increasing amounts of clutter — such as rags, floor mats, and mirrors — appearing near the loading and unloading bay.
When reporters visited the site, they found several boxes of miscellaneous items on the ground floor, including pots and pans, suitcases, and clothing. More than 10 supermarket shopping carts were lined up nearby, and a bucket containing sewage was also present, emitting a faint smell of urine.
A 64-year-old resident confirmed that all the items belong to an uncle living on the seventh floor, who goes out almost every day to collect things.
“Sometimes it would get very messy, and after the authorities came to clean it up, it would soon go back to the way it was before,” the resident claimed.
When reporters approached the uncle’s unit, a strong foul smell was noticeable along the corridor, growing worse nearer his door. The corridor beside the emergency staircase was obstructed with various items, including personal mobility aids, a recliner, and several cabinets. Around 20 pairs of shoes were lined up along both sides of the walkway.
The unit’s door was ajar, revealing a pitch-black interior packed with cardboard boxes, aluminium strips, water pipes, and other objects that covered almost the entire living-room floor. Reporters were unable to contact the man directly.
Another neighbour told reporters that the uncle had moved in three or four years ago and that everyone was aware of his hoarding habit.
“We were in contact in the early days. I would go over to help him when he needed to repair lights or appliances. But a few months ago, his house started to be filled with clutter. When we tried to persuade him, he would curse at us, so I stopped talking to him,” one more resident remarked.
In a similar past case, an elderly woman who lived with her daughter kept so many items in their flat that it became known as a “garbage house,” with belongings piled up to the ceiling and barely any passageway left. When volunteers arrived to clear the unit, the woman became deeply upset as she watched her possessions being removed.
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