Sibling Hoarders Face Eviction If They Don’t Clean Up

It’s a compulsion that for the most part takes place behind closed doors.  But hoarding has been thrust into the public’s eye with A&E’s popular television documentary, Hoarders, gripping viewers with startling, sometimes frightening footage.  

In Toronto, a recent fire at 200 Wellesley reportedly broke out in the apartment of a hoarder, shedding light on the potential dangers associated with the clutter.

And now two Toronto brothers are facing eviction if they don’t agree to have their apartment cleaned and seek professional help.

Fred and Frank Schoester, 50, both suffer from the disorder.  Their apartment near Broadview Ave. and Dundas is cluttered with random objects and garbage from wall to wall.   

Brigitte Witkowski, the executive-director of Mainstay Housing, the group which runs the building they live in, says they have tried to help the brothers, but believe the health and safety of other tenants must take precedence.

Witkowski says they won’t proceed with the eviction on the 30th if the brothers agree to allow the clean-up and long-term support she says Mainstay has offered them.

The brothers have vowed to fight the eviction notice and take the case to court if necessary.  They fear that if they are forced to clean up, or move, they will sink into a deep depression.