Worthington HRA establishes smoke-free date

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — In recent months, Nobles-Rock Community Health Services health educator Paula Bloemendaal has worked closely with Worthington Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) staff to develop a smoke-free policy for all HRA properties in Worthington.

Already, Bloemendaal and HRA staff conducted meetings with residents of the Atrium and Prairie Acres apartment complexes. Surveys in those facilities showed at least 75 percent of the tenants favor smoke-free housing.

Statewide, approximately 50 HRAs have already made the move to smoke-free facilities, and HRA executive director Rosie Rogers said she is noticing a definite trend in HRAs moving in that direction in part because of a recommendation by Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“HUD has really promoted it and encouraged us to do what we can do to get on board with this program,” Rogers said. When the idea was presented to the HRA board, she said they supported it “wholeheartedly.”

From an economic standpoint, Rogers said the decision will save them money in the long run. When a smoker moves out of a residence or apartment, the HRA has to go in and clean the carpets and give the walls not just one, but up to three, coats of paint to cover up the odor.

The year it will take to implement the smoke-free policy will give those tenants who aren’t able to comply with the new rule time to find a different place to live.

It will also provide time for the HRA and Bloemendaal to begin meeting with the residents of the 32 HRA family housing units in the community.

“We will meet with them as a full group,” Rogers said. “The monitoring of those will be a little more difficult because we aren’t clustered or don’t share a common area. We want them to have input so that it is bound for success.”

Rogers said any new tenant moving into HRA housing in the community will be informed that they cannot smoke anywhere in their unit, within the shared areas of the facility or within 40 feet of the building.

“If we can save a few (people from smoking) and, in the process, respect the wishes of others to live in a smoke-free place, I think we’ve accomplished what we’ve set out to do,” Rogers added.

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