For Immediate Release: Contact: Erica Carter Greater Charlotte Apartment Association 704.333.9511 x106 erica@greatercaa.org www.greatercaa.org
GREATER CHARLOTTE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION IS LAUNCHING A SMOKE-FREE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CHARLOTTE, NC, April 24, 2017 The Greater Charlotte Apartment Association along with their community partners from Tobacco Free Meck, Healthy Charlotte, Mecklenburg County Public Health, Region 4 Tobacco-Free Alliance and Tobacco Free York County announce the release of the Smoke-Free Certification Program on April 25, 2017. The program was developed to recognize those multi-family communities within Charlotte and the surrounding areas that have taken the environmentally friendly initiative to go smoke-free. Smoke free status is in demand and is something that residents of all ages are seeking. In a survey conducted in 2015 by the National Multifamily Housing Council of nearly 120,000 residents in the US, they found that 76% of residents across all generation levels are interested in nonsmoking buildings as an amenity. A smoke-free certification indicates a better living environment for residents as well as saving property managers and owners money on maintenance, turnover and fire damage costs. A growing number of owners and managers of multifamily housing in the Charlotte region have already voluntarily implemented smoke-free policies on their properties. Currently Charlotte has 84 smoke-free communities. In order to qualify for the GCAA Smoke-Free Certification, a community must have a lease or contract that prohibits employees, residents and guests from smoking in specified areas in the community. The minimum requirement for the certification is a policy that prohibits smoking indoors, on porches, balconies or patios where applicable. (More broad policies are legal and recommended. They may include other outdoor private and common areas, building perimeter restrictions, 100% smoke-free campus and prohibition of electronic cigarettes and/or hookah.)