Vaudreuil-Dorion steps in to help condo hoarder
The city of Vaudreuil-Dorion intervened in a hoarding situation within a private condominium.
Last month, city council authorized legal recourse to gain access to a single condo unit for inspection of the premises and to ensure compliance with safety standards and maintenance. The condo owner had been unco-operative when previously approached by city inspectors, leading to the legal mandate, a May 16 council resolution noted.
A man in his 60s has been living in the condo with questionable health and safety standards, piling up a collection of waste, explained city clerk Jean St-Antoine, adding the city’s aim was to help the resident.
“It’s a question of compassion,” he said. “It’s one unit that had a lot of garbage.”
Since the owner didn’t give permission, the city asked a Superior Court judge for the right to access the condo with a locksmith.
With a court order, the city finally gained access to inspect the condo and eventually removed some rubbish and an old mattress. A new smoke detector was installed.
“We are trying to help this person,” St-Antoine said.
Last year, municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC signed up to be partners in an intervention program that aims to help people living in substandard conditions due to hoarding or unsanitary home situations.
The public can dial 311 or their local city hall during office hours if they believe someone is living in poor conditions within the MRC and could use assistance. Once municipal officials verify a substandard living situation, the appropriate health-care or social workers can be notified.
The regional policy document, which sets guidelines for when actions are to be taken by various partners, notes that when individuals accumulate excessive miscellaneous objects, it can lead to substandard living conditions in their home.
When this sort of behaviour escalates, it increases risks to health and safety. As well, people who live in morbidly unhealthy conditions are often in denial.
The seeds of the project came about in 2011 after officials from some local municipalities pointed out a need for a collaborative effort to deal with people living in substandard conditions. In 2013, the local regional health board then struck up a committee to prepare plans.