At its Jan. 22 board meeting, the DeKalb County Housing Authority board of directors approved a plan to make all of its properties completely smoke-free by June 1, 2014.

Details of how this plan will be implemented will be hammered out over the next several months. The housing authority said it will collaborate with the DeKalb County Health Department to offer residents who want to quit smoking free or low-cost resources to help them do so.

“The health and safety of our residents and staff is a top priority,” said Michelle Perkins, executive director of the housing authority. “In buildings with multiple units sharing the same ventilation system, there is no way to prevent smoke from one unit from seeping into the next. The new policy will protect non-smokers – especially children, the elderly and those with medical issues – by eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke from their neighbors’ units.”