Smoking ban in, near public housing goes into effect Tuesday

PHOENIX — Smoking will not be allowed in or near public housing units starting on Tuesday, due to a newly-implemented rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The new rule was initially announced in 2016, but HUD gave all federally-owned public housing units until July 30 to implement it.

Smokers will still be able to rent units but will have to keep lit cigarettes, cigars and pipes at least 25 feet away from public housing and administrative office buildings.

But the City of Phoenix Housing Department already had that rule in place.

“We want to make sure that we’re providing the best communities that we can for our residents, and so implementing a smoke-free policy is something that falls in line with that,” said Keon Montgomery, deputy housing director for the City of Phoenix.

The city initially rolled out a policy in July 2015 that prohibited residents from smoking inside the units.

In July 2017, the policy was expanded to say no smoking was allowed on balconies or patios, and residents had to be at least 25 feet away from the buildings to be able to smoke.

Montgomery said smoke can travel through vents and other openings in apartment-style public housing and could impact the health of other residents.

The American Lung Association estimated the new rule will protect 2 million people – including 690,000 children – nationwide from secondhand smoke.

Montgomery said besides health benefits, there are financial benefits to having a smoke-free policy.

“Smoking actually damages the units, whether it’s the paint or the cabinets,” he said. “It costs more money to turn and rehab a unit in which we’ve had a long-term smoker versus a unit in which someone has not been smoking.”

Programs from the City of Phoenix Housing Department provide public housing, Section 8 housing vouchers, affordable rental apartments and single-family homes to more than 35,000 residents.

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