Printer
TextHoarding Task Force
Contact Us
- 703-324-1300, TTY 711
Submit Complaint
Complaint History
Formed in 1998, the
Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force combines the resources of county
agencies to provide a coordinated response to residential hoarding
when it threatens life, safety and property. Each participating
agency brings a specialty that is not found in any one other agency.
The 2009 Hoarding
Task Force Annual Report (PDF) 
provides a summary
of important hoarding trends. Below is a brief summary of some of the
agencies and their contributions.
Member Agencies:
-
Department of Code Compliance has
the responsibility of enforcing the Virginia Maintenance Code, the
state minimum housing standards, and the Fairfax County Zoning
Ordinance.
-
Adult Protective Services and Child Protective
Services provide social workers to interview and assess the
needs and/or risks of any children and adults living in a hoarding
environment. They are also a frontline to the many programs
available to those individuals in need.
-
Law enforcement services to the task force are provided by The Police Department and Sheriff's Office provide law enforcement
services and eviction experience. The Animal Services Division
of the Police Department ensures an animal's welfare in animal
hoarding cases or when a pet is living in a hoarding
condition.
-
The County Attorney's Office provides the link between the
county's response, law enforcement, court action and the
rights of the individual.
-
Fire and Rescue Department has the
responsibility of enforcing the Fire Prevention Code which
grants fire marshals the authority to evacuate an unsafe structure,
take actions to help bring compliance and take the necessary
actions to ensure the safety of the public and emergency response
personnel.
-
Health Department enforces health code
regulations with the authority to declare a property unfit for
occupancy.
-
Department of Housing and Community
Development offers programs that help owners bring blighted structures into
compliance.
-
Fairfax-Falls
Church Community Services Board Wellness & Health Promotion
Services engage and involve the community in activities to
strengthen emotional health and build capacity to handle
complications related to substance use and mental health.
-
Department of Public Works and Environmental
Services provides on-site engineering and building
evaluation expertise in order to assess a structure's
condition and can provide immediate action when removing the
accumulation of waste and debris.
-
Office of Public Affairs disseminates
information regarding high profile hoarding cases to the Board of
Supervisors, residents and the media.
-
Members of the Board of
Supervisors are represented on the task force by staff
aides who keep their board member informed and provide assistance
on cases within their district.
- The towns of Vienna and Herndon provide law enforcement and zoning enforcement for cases within their jurisdictions.
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