Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA) manages many apartment complexes in southern Iowa. Their Executive Director, Cathy Seddon, recently explained how making the change to smoke-free buildings in Ringgold County has worked well. A survey completed by tenants showed that a majority were in favor of going smoke free. SIRHA also had open meetings for tenants and managers to discuss how it would work. Tenants were allowed to voice their support or opposition in a facilitated meeting. Seddon felt this helped the process go much smoother. She has had no complaints since passing the smoke-free policy. Even the residents who do smoke seem to have adapted. Seddon said, “Overall, it went much smoother than I expected; and the benefits of having smoke-free buildings are worth it.”
A few benefits from going smoke free in multi-unit housing complexes are:
1) Apartment turnover costs can be nearly seven times greater when smoking is allowed.
2) Some insurance companies offer discounts for having a 100% smoke-free policy.
3) Nearly 75% of Iowans surveyed said they would choose a smoke-free apartment building.
Property owners and managers with smoke-free policies in Iowa can add their names to the Iowa Smoke-free Housing Registry at http://smoke-freehomes.iowa.gov/Default.aspx. The Registry is a good place for prospective tenants to shop for smoke-free options.
Ringgold County Public Health continues their work on a Community Transformation Grant and a Community Partnership Grant to reduce the impact of chronic diseases. Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you would like more information on smoke-free multi-unit housing, call Ringgold County Public Health at 641-464-0691.