Adopting a Smoke-Free Building Policy for Affordable Housing

Whether you are a Public Housing Authority, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Community Development Agency, or a building with partial funding from HUD or the Rural Development Agency, you can adopt a smoke-free policy for your building. The requirements for implementing a smoke-free policy in affordable housing can vary depending on the type of subsidy or assistance the property receives, but you can learn more by contacting Live Smoke Free.

In 2016, HUD announced a rule requiring all public housing to adopt smoke-free policies by July 30, 2018. The rule restricts the use of prohibited tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and hookah. Use of these products is not allowed anywhere inside public housing buildings including individual units, common areas, offices, or within 25 feet of the building(s). 

To find free resources and learn more about HUD's smoke-free public housing rule, visit www.sfpublichousingmn.org.

Tools

• Model smoke-free policy language for public housing authorities (includes optional Temporary Exemption form) (pdf) (Word document)

Articles

• "HUD Encourages PHA's to Become SmokeFree" Article from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Ecowise newsletter
  
• "Ban Smoking in Public Housing"   Article by Dr. Jonathon Winickoff that appeared in Newsweek
  
• "Smoke-free Affordable Housing: Picking on Poor People or a Case for Social Justice" Article from the Non-Smokers' Rights Association
  
• "Smoke-free Subsidized Housing Would Save $521 Million a Year" Press Release from the CDC

Memos and Letters

• "Non-Smoking Policies in Public Housing" Memo to Public Housing Authorities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  
• "Further Encouragement for O/As to Adopt Optional Smoke-Free Housing Policies" Memo to participants of Multifamily Housing Rental Assistance Programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  
• Letter from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Minneapolis Field Office Letter
  
• Letter from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development's Minnesota Field Office Letter

Additional Resources

• "Secondhand Smoke Seepage into Multi-Unit Affordable Housing" Law Synopsis
  
• "Smoking and Special Populations: Addressing Myths & Reducing Barriers to Providing Smoke-Free"
• "Smoke-Free Housing"   A excerpt from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's "Leading our Nation to Healthier Homes: The Healthy Home Strategic Plan"
  
• "Secondhand Smoke"  An excerpt from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes"