Prospective Evaluation of a Comprehensive Smoke-Free Public Housing Policy in a Multi-State Setting

Beacon Communities, a private property management company, is unveiling a comprehensive smoking ban at all 52 of its properties. A multi-component, "enhanced" intervention designed to promote, strengthen, and maintain a smoke-free policy across public housing developments will be implemented prior to commencement of the smoke-free policy. The enhanced intervention will be tested against a standard intervention of educational materials and information on cessation options. This study will be open to residents at 12 Beacon Communities properties at which a Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) is located.

The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced intervention vs. standard intervention to support a comprehensive smoke-free policy, in a multi-site, privately managed affordable housing context. A further objective is to develop a toolkit of strategies for the large-scale implementation and maintenance of a smoke-free policy in multi-unit affordable housing developments. The toolkit will be the first to be developed directly from an extensive two-stage qualitative analysis and will apply the lessons learned in this study to provide a sustainable resource for property managers seeking to implement smoke-free policies.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 and over
• Able to speak English or Spanish
• A resident of Beacon Communities housing development (12 selected sites)
• Thinks that he/she will be living in his/her Beacon Community for at least the next 12 months

For Smokers:

• Have smoked cigarettes or e-cigarettes in the last week

For Non-Smokers:

• Self-reported exposure to secondhand smoke in the previous 2 months

Exclusion criteria

• Have another household member enrolled in the study