General

Formed in 1998, the Hoarding Task Force combines the resources of county agencies to provide a coordinated response to residential hoarding when it threatens life, safety and property.

Member Agencies

• Health Department (lead agency)
• Fire and Rescue Department - Fire Prevention Division
• Department of Family Services - Adult Protective Services and Child Protective Services
• Police Department - Animal Services Division
• Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board - Mental Health Services
• Office of the County Attorney
• Department of Housing and Community Development
• Department of Planning and Zoning
• Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
• Sheriff’s Office

Each agency participating in the task force brings a specialty that is not found in any one other agency. Below is a brief summary of some of the agencies and their contributions.

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.

Animal Services Division of the Police Department provides the expertise to ensure an animal's welfare in animal hoarding cases or when a pet is living in a hoarding condition.

Fire and Rescue Department has the responsibility of enforcing the Virginia Statewide 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, the lead agency, has the responsibility of enforcing the property maintenance provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code which establishes housing standards and conditions. The Health Department also has 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--Mental Health Services provides on- and off-site mental health evaluations and recommendations through the Mobile Crisis Unit, the Program for Older Adults and Their Families, and Adult Community Services.

Department of Planning and Zoning works with property owners to help them meet the requirements of the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance.

Department of Public Works and Environmental Services provides on-site engineering and building code knowledge in order to assess a structure's condition and can provide immediate action when removing the accumulation of waste and debris.