Queens Community Board 8 of New York City approved a resolution calling on the New York City Council to pass legislation requiring all new multi-family housing to be smoke-free.  At its monthly board meeting at the Hillcrest Jewish Center in Fresh Meadows, board members 31-5 to pass the resolution, which calls for both new developments and owners and landlords of existing multi-family housing to explore the possibility of banning smoking.

The resolution recommends that owners and landlords in multi-family housing create smoke-free housing units and establish them wherever possible. Owners of multi-unit housing, including rentals, condominiums and co-ops, would also legislatively be required to disclose the building’s smoking policy to current and prospective students. The resolution also calls on the city Department of Buildings and the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to jointly communicate the health benefits of the legislation.