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Some local housing authorities had already created similar limits on smoking on property. These new rules require local public housing authorities to create policies that ban lit tobacco products in all residences, offices, and outdoor areas that are 25 feet of housing and administrative buildings.
The rule passed November 2016 and local policies had to begin no later than Tuesday.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development stated the rule also will save money by preventing smoke damage to housing units, lowering the cost of renovating units in between tenants and reducing insurance costs by lowering the risk of fire-related claims.
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Those covered by insurance plans under Ohio Medicaid can get cessation medications and cessation counseling covered under their plans.
Federal guidelines from HUD say that local housing authorities should create enforcement policies that have consistant rules and mulitiple warnings.
“Strict enforcement structures may not provide room for flexibility or behavior change by the tenant. The goal is to provide safe and stable housing for all, not to evict tenants,” HUD stated in its guidelines.
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