The Peoria Housing Authority is partnering with another organization to make some of its housing complexes smoke-free. The Hult Center for Healthy Living is using a more than 130-thousand dollar grant from the Centers for Disease Control to help various apartment sites in Peoria and Tazewell Counties implement no smoking plans.
The Peoria Housing Authority wants to initiate a no-smoking policy at its senior housing facility, Sterling Towers and in the newly-built units at Harrison Homes by early 2015. Kristin Buckholzis the Community Relations and Marketing Manager for the PHA.
“PHA is moving in this direction because, especially for Sterling Towers, where all of our residents are living in one building. Secondhand smoke affects our other residents. And then for when residents move out, any units where residents have smoked, the cost is much greater to turn those units around to then lease to new residents.”
The Peoria Housing Authority is working on a policy to implement the new rule. The Hult Center will help the authority develop an action plan, make the transition, and offer free smoking cessation services for residents and employees.