In the city of El Paso, Texas the Housing Authority is seeking to make all of the public housing smoke-free according to a new policy adopted by Authority Commissioners.
The housing units in El Paso are in the process of being converted to Rental Assistance Demonstration, aka RAD during a renovation project which will cost $600 million dollars. In order to live in these housing units the tenants must sign a provision in their lease what will consist of smoking ban.
According to Gerald Cichon of the Housing Authority of El Paso, “Right now, people can smoke. The new policy will be implemented over the course of the next few years as we undergo the RAD conversion. With the RAD conversion, everyone will have to sign a new lease anyway, and the smoking policy will become a provision in the leases.”
The new ban covers tobacco and marijuana smoke and any other smoking products, whether legal or illegal and will include outdoor common areas.
El Paso, Texas is home to over 674,000 residents over 256.3 square miles and was founded in 1680.
