The New York Times: “An estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of Americans suffer from hoarding, which was officially recognized as a disorder this month in a psychiatric diagnostic manual. But the impact of hoarding extends beyond the afflicted individual and relatives in the home: the behavior can also put immediate neighbors at risk, by creating perfect conditions for explosive house fires and infestations of vermin and disease.”

“Across the country, local officials… have begun grappling with hoarding as a serious public health hazard. More than 85 communities — from San Jose, California, to Wichita, Kansas, to Portland, Maine — have established task forces, hoping to stave off catastrophes and help hoarders turn their lives around.”