HUD, HHS and health groups announce new smoke-free housing tools
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and heath advocates today launched a new set of tools to encourage and guide private owners of federally assisted multifamily housing and public housing authorities to adopt smoke-free policies to protect residents from the dangers of second-hand smoke and to reduce property maintenance costs.
During a news conference recently, the agencies were joined by the American Lung Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics as they unveiled the toolkits HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) developed with the partnering agencies. These kits provide housing owners/managers and residents with user-friendly information related to the adoption of smoke-free housing policies.
"A healthy home is a smoke-free home," said Jon Gant, Director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. "If we're serious about promoting healthy living conditions in federally assisted housing, then we have to get serious about promoting smoke-free housing. HUD is pleased to join hands with our partners in this important effort to create a healthy home environment for families and their children."
HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez added: "HUD is working hard to promote health and prevent disease by encouraging public housing agencies, multifamily owners and agents, as well as residents, to work with their local public health and medical communities to adopt smoke-free housing policies. We want to provide them with resources as we work together to create healthy homes."
The new Smoke-Free Housing Toolkits can be used by residents, multifamily housing managers/owners, including public housing authorities, to promote healthier housing. The owner's toolkit includes HUD's guidance to public housing authorities and multifamily housing owners/managers, such as: a guide to implementing no-smoking policies, a sample resident survey, frequently asked questions, and other useful resources. The residents' kit includes a going smoke-free guide, a home smoke-free pledge kit, and additional education materials about second-hand smoke.
Additionally, the new toolkits advise private landlords and public housing authorities to:
- Advertise units as non-smoking to attract tenants who either don't smoke or only smoke outside;
- Talk to prospective tenants about their smoke-free policy when showing the property;
- Include no-smoking policies in lease agreements and read through the rule with tenants as they sign their lease;
- Display no-smoking signage in buildings and on the property;
- Consider partnering with organizations to offer smoking cessation support to residents;
- Inform tenants that if they smoke in their units, they will be financially responsible for the costs of restoring the unit;
- Use the same warning/enforcement methods for smoke-free rule violations used for any other lease infractions; and
- Visit and inspect properties regularly.
+ Top Story
Our bodies naturally crave salt, a necessary nutrient, and research shows that we gravitate to the amount we need for our bodies to function properly. Salt deficiency has been linked to a host of health concerns, including insulin resistance, increased risk of heart attacks and reduced cognition.
A new report by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that the teen birth rate for African Americans has declined by 60 percent between 1991 and 2011 – a rate 10 percent greater than the overall dip in teen birth rates.
American women spend more time taking care of their families, homes and jobs than themselves. With so much time invested in caring for others, women can overlook the importance of their own health. Yet, neglecting their own health needs can make it much harder for women to also take care of those they love.
With Spring finally upon us, now’s the time to evaluate those New Year’s Resolutions to get slim and trim or to make healthy lifestyle changes. Are you totally proud of yourselves for your progress, or trying to figure out what to do to get back on track in time for summer?
Many women know that getting a Pap test regularly from their health care provider is a good way to check for signs of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide. What they might not know is that a “normal” Pap result does not necessarily mean they are cancer-free.
When you’re done with spring cleaning, you may assume you’ve eliminated any allergy triggers that were lurking in your home. But the truth is, if you don’t clean the right way, you might be making the problem worse.
Sixty Temple physicians have been named to Philadelphia magazine’s annual “Top Doctors” list. Nominated by their professional peers, the physicians on the list practice at Temple University Hospital, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Jeanes Hospital.
Managing diabetes just got a little bit easier. For the first time in history J.D. Power and Associates, the premier market research firm, has reviewed blood glucose meters based on feedback and insights from nearly 3,000 people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.