Adopting a Smoke-Free Policy in Affordable Housing
Whether your property is publicly or privately subsidized, you can adopt a smoke-free policy for your building. The requirements for implementing a smoke-free policy in affordable housing may vary depending on the type of subsidy or assistance the property receives. If you have questions not answered below contact Live Smoke Free.
The tools and resources on this page are specific to affordable housing and are supplemental to the information on the Property Managers page.
Public Housing
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all public housing to have a smoke-free policy in order to protect the health and safety of all residents and staff, lower maintenance costs, and reduce the risk of deadly and costly fires.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).
More About HUD’s Smoke-Free Public Housing Rule
Minnesota Smoke-Free Public Housing Implementation Toolkit
This toolkit was created in 2018 for use by Minnesota public housing agencies. However, the tools listed below are useful to a broad array of multi-unit housing in the process of implementing a smoke-free policy. The toolkit development was supported by a Tobacco Free Communities Grant from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Support Your Residents In Quitting
Most people who smoke want to quit. Give your residents and staff the tools they need to quit successfully.
- Get the Facts: Smoking Cessation and Mental Illness
- Tips for assisting residents who want to quit
- Quit Partner: Minnesota’s free way to quit nicotine, including smoking, vaping and chewing (1-800-QUIT-NOW).
- Quit Partner flyers, postcards, and posters for download
- Tips from Former Smokers
Free printable materials you can post at your housing site to encourage residents and staff to quit
See our cessation page for more resources to help your residents and staff quit.
National Resources for Public Housing Agencies
Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project
From 2018 to 2021, the Live Smoke Free program collaborated with the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials on a project called Clean Air for All. The project provided training and technical assistance to public housing agencies, resident services staff, and public housing residents impacted by HUD’s smoke-free public housing rule. Clean Air for all was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Below are resources created and collected as part of the Clean Air for All project.
Educational Resources
- A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What it Means to You – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Secondhand Tobacco Smoke and Smoke-Free Homes – Environmental Protection Agency
- Thirdhand Smoke FAQ – Live Smoke Free Program, Association for Nonsmokers – MN
- Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center
- Electronic Cigarettes: What’s the Bottom Line? – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Going Smoke Free Matters – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Secondhand Smoke Seepage into Multi-Unit Affordable Housing – Tobacco Control Legal Consortium at Public Health Law Center
- Electronic Smoking Device Use in Multi-Unit Housing (2019) – Live Smoke Free Program and Public Health Law Center
- Marijuana in Multi-Unit Residential Settings (2019) – Public Health Law Center
- COVID-19 Tobacco Cessation and Housing Resources For All – American Cancer Society, Clean Air for All, NAATPN
- Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and Smoke-Free Housing – Clean Air for All
- Smoke-Free Public Housing Reasonable Accommodations – Public Health Law Center
Resources for PHA Staff
A Public Housing Agency’s Guide to Adopting and Maintaining a Successful Smoke-Free Public Housing Policy in the United States Developed by Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project (PDF)
HUD Resources
- HUD Guidebook: Implementing HUD’s Smoke-Free Policy in Public Housing
- HUD smoke-free public housing fact sheets
- HUD smoke-free multifamily housing resource bank
Compliance and Enforcement Toolkit
Commercial Tobacco Cessation
For commercial tobacco cessation/treatment information see “National Resources” on our Cessation page.
Additional Resources
- Implementing a Smoke-Free Policy in Public Housing – National Housing Law Project
- Smoke-Free Housing Options – American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation
- Smokefree Policies in Multi-Unit Housing – American Lung Association
- Building Success: Adopting and Implementing an Effective Smoke-Free Housing Policy – Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
- Download or order 1-800-QUITNOW cards
Resources for Residents
- Tips from Former Smokers – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Flyer: Your Building is Smokefree… How about you? (English)
- Flyer: Your Building is Smokefree… How about you? (Spanish)
- VIDEO: Breathing Easier at Home – American Lung Association
- HUD Fact Sheet: Information for Residents
- Learn what happens when you call a quitline
Global Directory of Smoke-Free Housing Programs
Connect with a local smoke-free housing program near you!
Global Directory of Smoke-Free Housing Programs
Resources for Resident Service Providers
Archived Webinars
March 9, 2021
Equitable and Effective Enforcement of Smoke-Free Public Housing Policies (passcode: $Fqg$1ya)
January 27, 2021
Working Together: Resident Engagement during and after the Pandemic (Password .dG8!Y0C)
August 12, 2020
How COVID-19 Sheds New Light on Lung Health and Smoke-Free Public Housing (Password: dg0!mY7z)
February 27, 2020
Smoke-Free Public Housing: Looking Back, Looking Forward
July 23, 2019
First Anniversary of the HUD Smoke-Free Housing Rule: Successes, Challenges, and Next Steps
June 4, 2019
Smoke-Free Public Housing Compliance & Enforcement: New Tools with Practical Applications
August 7, 2018
Successful Resident Engagement Before and After Smoke-Free Policy Implementation
February 21, 2019
Boosting Compliance and improving Enforcement in Smoke-Free Public Housing
Featured Videos
(September 19-22, 2019) Clean Air for All (CAFA) highlights from the 2018 NAR-SAAH Annual Conference
(September 19-22, 2019) Clean Air for All smoke-free housing presentation at NAR-SAAH 2018 National Conference
Resources for Smoke-Free Affordable Housing
Articles
“HUD Encourages PHA’s to Become SmokeFree” Article from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Ecowise newsletter.
DOWNLOAD“Ban Smoking in Public Housing” Article by Dr. Jonathon Winickoff that appeared in Newsweek.
DOWNLOAD“Smoke-free Affordable Housing: Picking on Poor People or a Case for Social Justice” Article from the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association.
DOWNLOADMemos & Letters
“Non-Smoking Policies in Public Housing” Memo to Public Housing Authorities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
DOWNLOAD“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.
DOWNLOADLetter from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Minneapolis Field Office Letter.
DOWNLOADLetter from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Minnesota Field Office Letter.
DOWNLOADAdditional Resources
“Secondhand Smoke Seepage into Multi-Unit Affordable Housing” Law Synopsis
DOWNLOAD“Smoking and Special Populations: Addressing Myths & Reducing Barriers to Providing Smoke-Free”
DOWNLOAD“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”
DOWNLOAD“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”
DOWNLOAD“National and State Cost Savings Associated With Prohibiting Smoking in Subsidized and Public Housing in the United States”
DOWNLOADDakota County Compliance and Cessation Campaign
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