Gwangju Seo-gu Council Approves Original Draft of Ordinance Supporting Households Suspected of Hoarding Disorder

Representative Baek Jong-han's Proposal

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho] The Seo-gu Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 21st that the "Gwangju Metropolitan City Seo-gu Hoarding Disorder Suspected Household Support Ordinance" was approved as originally proposed in the standing committee.

The ordinance, primarily proposed by Councilor Baek Jong-han, broadly includes various support measures such as ▲ linkage support with mental health specialized institutions like public health centers ▲ support for household waste collection ▲ necessary support for improving residential environments ▲ support for volunteers' supplies and actual expenses.

Councilor Baek said, "By establishing a legal basis to support households suspected of hoarding disorder, we aim to eliminate welfare blind spots and contribute to the health and welfare improvement of district residents."

He added, "Hoarding disorder is a type of mental illness with a very high risk of recurrence," and stated, "Beyond one-time support such as cleaning and waste collection, efforts should be made to fundamentally solve the problem through linkage with mental health specialized institutions and the establishment of community cooperation systems."

Meanwhile, 'hoarding disorder,' a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by the inability to discard items regardless of their use and storing them in residences, causes harm not only to the individual and their family but also to neighbors, and has recently been recognized as a social issue.

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho yjm3070@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.