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Multi-Unit Housing and Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Every person living in multi-unit housing deserves to breathe clean air. Secondhand smoke can travel from other units and common areas through doorways, cracks in walls, plumbing, and ventilation systems. This secondhand smoke negatively impacts physical and mental health. It is essential to have smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing where people live, work, and visit. In addition to protecting the health of residents, smoke-free policies can save money in smoking-related cleaning costs and reduce smoking-related fires. For example, according to the CDC, it would save $153 million each year if all public housing in the United States was made smoke-free.

Social determinants of mental health are societal problems that disrupt mental health, increase the risk of mental illness among certain groups, and worsen outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses. Housing is one of many social determinants of mental health that is impacted by tobacco use. Therefore, it is essential to have tobacco-free environments in multi-unit housing where people living with mental and behavioral health challenges live and visit.

Flyer Resources

Multi-Unit Housing Tobacco-Free Resources for Kentucky

Resources Specific to Owners/Managers:

This video, created by Live Smoke-Free Minnesota, goes through three steps to implementing a smoke-free multi-unit housing property.

This website, hosted by Live Smoke-free Minnesota, shares the steps to going smoke-free along with testimonials. (Some content is Minnesota-specific and is noted as such)

A policy brief, published by the Public Health Law Center, explains the policy benefits of smoke-free multi-unit housing along with considerations when creating your own multi-unit housing smoke-free policy.

This toolkit, prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and their partners, includes information on reasons to consider smoke-free housing, the health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure, a legal guidance fact sheet, steps to going smoke-free, a guide to no smoking policies, sample resident letters, sample lease language, HUD notice encouraging smoke-free housing policies, a list of housing authorities/commissions with smoke-free policies, and some additional resources.

This downloadable toolkit, developed by the American Lung Association and their partners, is free and covers every aspect of taking your multi-unit housing property smoke-free.

This printable fact sheet, created by the American Lung Association, explains essential steps to take before, during, and after your new smoke-free policy takes effect. It also offers tips for handling violations and lists additional considerations when implementing your policy.

Resources Specific to Residents:

This video, from the American Lung Association, shows how secondhand smoke can travel within multi-unit housing.

This fact sheet, from the American Lung Association, describes steps you can to take protect you and your family from secondhand smoke exposure.

This toolkit, prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and their partners, includes information on the health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure, steps residents can take, HUD notice encouraging smoke-free housing policies, and some additional resources.

Resources for Everyone:

This American Lung Association webpage spotlights Community Transformation Grantees and the impact going smoke-free has had on their communities. The included video focuses on the importance of being able to breathe easier at home.

This webpage on multi-unit housing, prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explains why there is no safe amount of secondhand smoke exposure and explains how smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing can improve health and save money.

This infographic, prepared by the CDC, explains why there is no safe amount of secondhand smoke exposure and explains how smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing can improve health and save money.

Change Lab Solutions provides fact sheets for both residents and landlords/property managers regarding smoke-free housing. Some of their resources are California-specific but many apply to any location.

Live Smoke-Free is Minnesota’s smoke-free housing website. In addition to Minnesota-specific content, this website provides strategies & steps to eliminate secondhand smoke from your housing unit, tobacco smoke facts, and much more.

This webpage, managed by the American Lung Association, offers resources for health professionals who are supporting the development and implementation of smoke-free multi-unit housing properties. This link also offers an online course, Smoke-free Policies in Multi-Unit Housing: Steps for Success, that teaches how to implement a smoke-free policy in multi-unit housing properties.

Resources Specific to Behavioral Health:

This webpage, prepared by Mental Health America, discusses housing challenges sometimes experienced by people living with a mental or behavioral health challenge.

This document, prepared by Minnesota's Live Smoke-Free program, addresses myths and reduces barriers to providing smoke-free housing for individuals with mental illness, chemical dependency or those who are unhoused.

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