Illawarra Court housing resident 'frightened' to leave Belconnen unit - The Canberra Times

A Belconnen government housing resident says she is frightened to leave her unit during the day for fear of being mugged by neighbours and her application to be moved has been all but ignored. N. Kurtz-Murray said that a week after moving into the Illawarra Court complex in November last year, she was the victim of an attempted mugging and went back to couch-surfing with friends rather than remain in the unit. "I've got rotting my food in my house that I don't even feel comfortable taking out. I have to wait for certain times and make sure that the people around have been paid so they've got their drug addiction in them," Ms Kurtz-Murray said. "As an orphan, I don't really have any family. The government is my family. And currently, I'm being left behind, falling through the gaps for no reason." Ms Kurtz-Murray, 30, has applied for an out-of-turn transfer from the complex, with multiple support letters, seen by the Sunday Canberra Times, backing the application for a low-density property on mental health grounds. "I don't care how big or small. It could be falling apart and mouldy, I don't care. I just want to be able to take the trash out or leave the house without thinking that this is the day I might get stabbed, or mugged again," Ms Kurtz-Murray said. "I think they need to put more time into each case. ... Really what they [Housing ACT] need is more people doing the work." An government spokeswoman said Housing ACT worked closely with tenants and the community to provide safe and secure homes. "Unfortunately, crime occurs across the community in both public and private places," the spokeswoman said. "Managing anti-social and illegal activity is an ongoing process across the community, not only in public housing complexes. "Across all tenancies, Housing ACT works with tenants to ensure that they are meeting their obligations under the Residential Tenancy Act and if they are not take appropriate action." In March last year, the ACT Supreme Court heard Illawarra Court was a "difficult" place to live, "where you don't really call the cops" in the trial of a resident who was accused of stabbing a neighbour. A jury found Kobi Guarini, 31, not guilty over the August 2018 incident, concluding Mr Guarini was acting in self defence. In a separate incident a man was transported to hospital after a late-night assault at Illawarra Court in May last year. READ MORE: The government spokeswoman said Housing ACT endeavoured to match applicants to the most suitable property, but there were few one- and two-bedroom standalone properties owned by the agency. "Given this, applicants may at times feel that avoiding high density housing has not been taken into consideration. "Housing ACT experiences considerable and constant requests for standalone properties and can only work with the available housing stock. "Housing ACT aims to provide prospective tenants alternatives when they do not feel the offered property is not suitable for their needs," the spokeswoman said. "Housing ACT has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve multi-unit housing sites. "These initiatives include aged persons units, where applicants are generally over the age of 65 years, and aged persons flats where applicants allocated are generally over 45 years." The spokeswoman said Housing ACT was committed to improving living conditions in multi-unit properties, including through the Connected Communities program. "Housing ACT is working to connect tenants with community supports and provide focused engagement," she said in a statement to the Sunday Canberra Times. More than 400 public housing properties are sitting empty across Canberra, while 200 people are on the "priority list". Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

A Belconnen government housing resident says she is frightened to leave her unit during the day for fear of being mugged by neighbours and her application to be moved has been all but ignored.

N. Kurtz-Murray said that a week after moving into the Illawarra Court complex in November last year, she was the victim of an attempted mugging and went back to couch-surfing with friends rather than remain in the unit.

"I've got rotting my food in my house that I don't even feel comfortable taking out. I have to wait for certain times and make sure that the people around have been paid so they've got their drug addiction in them," Ms Kurtz-Murray said.

"As an orphan, I don't really have any family. The government is my family. And currently, I'm being left behind, falling through the gaps for no reason."

Ms Kurtz-Murray, 30, has applied for an out-of-turn transfer from the complex, with multiple support letters, seen by the Sunday Canberra Times, backing the application for a low-density property on mental health grounds.

"I don't care how big or small. It could be falling apart and mouldy, I don't care. I just want to be able to take the trash out or leave the house without thinking that this is the day I might get stabbed, or mugged again," Ms Kurtz-Murray said.

"I think they need to put more time into each case. ... Really what they [Housing ACT] need is more people doing the work."

An government spokeswoman said Housing ACT worked closely with tenants and the community to provide safe and secure homes.

"Unfortunately, crime occurs across the community in both public and private places," the spokeswoman said.

"Managing anti-social and illegal activity is an ongoing process across the community, not only in public housing complexes.

"Across all tenancies, Housing ACT works with tenants to ensure that they are meeting their obligations under the Residential Tenancy Act and if they are not take appropriate action."

In March last year, the ACT Supreme Court heard Illawarra Court was a "difficult" place to live, "where you don't really call the cops" in the trial of a resident who was accused of stabbing a neighbour.

A jury found Kobi Guarini, 31, not guilty over the August 2018 incident, concluding Mr Guarini was acting in self defence.

READ MORE:

The government spokeswoman said Housing ACT endeavoured to match applicants to the most suitable property, but there were few one- and two-bedroom standalone properties owned by the agency.

"Given this, applicants may at times feel that avoiding high density housing has not been taken into consideration.

"Housing ACT experiences considerable and constant requests for standalone properties and can only work with the available housing stock.

"Housing ACT aims to provide prospective tenants alternatives when they do not feel the offered property is not suitable for their needs," the spokeswoman said.

"Housing ACT has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve multi-unit housing sites.

"These initiatives include aged persons units, where applicants are generally over the age of 65 years, and aged persons flats where applicants allocated are generally over 45 years."

The spokeswoman said Housing ACT was committed to improving living conditions in multi-unit properties, including through the Connected Communities program.

"Housing ACT is working to connect tenants with community supports and provide focused engagement," she said in a statement to the Sunday Canberra Times.

More than 400 public housing properties are sitting empty across Canberra, while 200 people are on the "priority list".

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

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2021-04-17 14:00:00Z
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