‘Its absolutely heartbreaking’: Ngaree Ah Kit’s call for change amid Karama crime crisis

With more than 600 public housing properties in her electorate, Karama MLA Ngaree Ah Kit wants more done to lower those numbers and crack down on problem tenants.

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WITH more than 600 public housing properties in her electorate, Karama MLA Ngaree Ah Kit wants more done to lower those numbers and crack down on problem tenants.

The MLA says she wants the current “red card rule” to change and only allow rowdy public housing tenants three strikes instead of the current six before they face eviction.

“Six warnings is a lot,” Ms Ah Kit said.

“When I first got into this job, there was a notorious house in Karama with over 1000 confirmed police reports over five years.

“It was just unbelievable it could drag out that long with so many issues and so much impact.

“I believe the Department of Housing eventually did remove the people who were there and went on to sell the house.”

Ngaree Ah Kit at her Karama electorate office. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The MLA said a recent spike in crime in her electorate coincided with hundreds of visitors coming into town since COVID. While some are sleeping rough, she said many newcomers were staying with public housing tenants in Karama and Malak.

Ms Ah Kit said about one in five homes in Karama and Malak are public housing.

“A lot of public housing here means that there’s a lot of vulnerability and a lot of poverty in our community,” she said.

The MLA says she wants to work more with the Housing Department to begin the gradual “de-densification of public housing” in her electorate.

“I’ve been pushing really hard to get the number of public housing properties down,” she said.

“There are other suburbs with public housing properties; they don’t have anywhere near as much as ours.

“We could also look at asking some of these long-term tenants who are now doing well for themselves … would you consider buying your home?”

Ms Ah Kit said she found it “absolutely heartbreaking” to hear stories of elderly residents in Karama feeling too scared to go to the Karama Shopping Centre to get their groceries due to crime.

“I’m aware of a lot of incidents like that, and unfortunately, it stems from some of our kids who are just getting up to no good,” she said.

Some elderly residents say they no longer feel safe going to the Karma Shopping Plaza due a recent spike in crime.

“I hear it at least two to three times a week, ‘Ngaree, we no longer shop here. I go down the road’. I know the shopping centre managers here have given the number of the security guards here to people who are worried about crime around here.

“They tell them to call when they come shopping so security can meet them outside and escort them to their cars later if they feel unsafe.”

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The Member for Karama said she pushed extremely hard for changes to be made to youth bail laws within the Labor caucus before reforms were announced last month.

She says that she’s also asking the government to consider a proposal to set up a 24-hour safe space for youths in Malak.