ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Although the COVID-19 pandemic officially ended years ago, its psychological and behavioral aftershocks continue to ripple through communities across the Rockford area. One of the more visible effects: a sharp increase in hoarding.
Alex Broches, owner of The Junk Removal Dudes, has witnessed the trend firsthand. In his 12 years in the business, he says the number of hoarded homes he’s called to clean has more than doubled since the pandemic.
“Before COVID, we were seeing about six or seven hoarded houses a month,” Broches said. “Now, it’s anywhere from 14 to 20.”…