Smoke-free housing: Eliminating ETS exposure in multi-unit housing through voluntary policy change

The Smoke-Free Housing Coalition's mission, through education, advocacy, and policy change, is to reduce the number of multi-unit residents who are involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke in communities throughout Maine in the place they spend nearly 70% of their time: the home. The Coalition builds on the state-wide goal eliminating involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke and making smoke-free living the norm, not the exception. The Coalition, as a state-wide entity of over 50 individuals and 30 organizations, has applied public health expertise, legal support, and investor-focused marketing to create a successful state-wide initiative. A combination of direct outreach, partnerships with twenty-two of the State's housing authorities, paid media campaign and the cooperation of several landlords and private developments has allowed the Coalition to educate thousands of landlords and tenants on the importance of smoke-free housing and influence policy change. Whether that be the addition of a smoke-free one-point incentive in MaineHousing's Qualified Allocation Plan or the fourteen Maine housing authorities that have gone smoke-free since 2003, Maine has become a State accepting and interested in bring smoke-free policies into multi-unit buildings. Through a grouping of education and outreach to tenants and landlords the Coalition plans to match the supply of smoke-free housing with the demand. Advocating to both sides of the rental community for voluntary policy and behavior change creates an environment where citizens have the opportunity to live in a home free from secondhand smoke exposure.