Public housing tenants fear their neighbourhood being turned into a “ghetto”

Residents in North Richmond have compared the suburb to the “worst of downtown Detroit” and fear their neighbourhood is being “ghetto-ised” due to the safe-injecting room.

Residents in North Richmond’s public housing towers believe their neighbourhood is being “ghetto-ised” because of problems surrounding the controversial supervised injection room.

A meeting of residents last night said the room had only attracted more heroin users to the suburb and, while many lives were being saved by the centre, street problems such as injecting in parks, streets and common areas was still common.

Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly said tenants were concerned about the chaos around their homes.

“The largest public housing estate is being ghetto-ised,’’ Cr Jolly said.

“It’s like the worst of downtown Detroit has been imposed on a neighbourhood in the world’s second most liveable city.

“No one deserves to live like this.

“They need to have the same level of security and safety as any other Melbourne resident.’’

Tenants also want more say in the injecting room local reference group.

Meeting of North Richmond public housing tenants, concerned about the chaos caused by the supervised injecting room. Pic supplied

It comes as new crime statistics show there have only been three ­recorded drug offences in Richmond North since 2015.

Resident Letitia said problems in the neighbourhood - Australia’s biggest public housing estate - had become worse since the injection room opened.

“It’s just horrendous,’’ she said.

Residents said as well as users shooting up in public, communal laundries were being used as shooting galleries, for sex, and faeces and syringes were often left behind.

The meeting followed the revelation by Coroner Audrey Jamieson that the number of heroin deaths in Richmond in the sixth months after the room opened was almost the same as the six months before the centre opened.

The Heroin problem in Richmond.

But Ms Jamieson said the centre was saving many lives and that is still needed time to show the full benefit.

The controversial Richmond centre opened last June as part of a two-year trial, to target the high number of overdose deaths and public injecting in the area.

More than 1130 overdoses — an average of three a day — had been managed.

Last week the Herald Sun revealed that the injecting room was handling hundreds more overdoses than Sydney’s Kings Cross facility when it first opened.

The medically supervised injection room is based in the North Richmond Community Health building on Lennox St.

An estimated average of 200 addicts use the supervised injection room every day.

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said the figures showed that the heroin scourge was a broader state and national issue.

MORE NEWS: SETKA’S DEPUTY QUITS

BELLE GIBSON TAKES CASH FOR ‘ELDERLY WOMAN’S CARE’

TWIST IN TRAGIC ROYAL PARK DEATH

“We need to see this as a health or medical problem rather than a criminal one,’’ Mr Biondo said.

But Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said the lack of drug charges in North Richmond showed police needed more resources to “keep these streets safe”.

“Daniel Andrews’ policies have effectively legalised heroin and ice in this suburb and it’s innocent residents who are paying the price,” she said.

The supervised injection room was established within the existing North Richmond Community Health building but a new extension is being built and is expected to open in a few weeks when the opening hours will be extended.

The current makeshift operation has eight booths, some of which are double cubicles, so 11 people can access the services at one time.

The new centre will be able to accommodate 20 people in 14 cubicles.

@IanRoyall

[e-mail]