Articles and Links
Apartments in
California, United States
September 20, 2016
I will post articles and links as I find them (this can mean daily or frequently during the day).
Please check in for updates.

Bible Study Note Keeper
Combine and keep study notes organized and divided
by books of the Bible.

Do You Need A
TOTAL MONEY
MAKEOVER?

CALIFORNIA CITIES with Smoke-Free Housing Provisions 2011 - Existing Units

Alameda
Alisa Viejo
Arcata
Bay Area
Belvedere
Berkeley
Burlingame
Calaveras County
Campbell
Corte Madera
Cotati
Culver City
Danville
Davis
Dublin
El Cerrito
Elk Grove

El Monte
Folsom
Foster City
Freemont
Fresno
Gilroy
Glendale
Half Moon Bay
Huntington Park
Kern County
Lafayette
Laguna Beach
Laguna Woods
Long Beach
Los Angeles
Manhattan Beach
Marin County

Martinez
Merced County
Modesto
Oakley
Orinda
Palo Alto
Pasadena
Petaluma
Pleasant Hill
Richmond
Sacramento
San Andreas
San Anselmo
San Bernardino
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose

San Mateo County
San Rafael
San Ramon
Santa Barbara
Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz
Santa Monica
Santa Rosa County
Saratoga
Statewide
Sunnyvale
Tehama County
Tulare County
Vallejo
Visalia
Walnut Creek
Wilmont

Alameda

9/7/12 Smokers Flaut City Ordinance Alameda Sun It forbids smoking in all new multi-unit rental and commoninterest areas. Lighting up on a balcony or porch is also against the law.
11/4/11 Smoking Ban Before Council Alameda Sun It would also ban smoking in 100 percent of multi-unit housing units where the same landlord rents 51 percent of all units.

Alisa Viejo

9/24/14 Editorial: Needlessly smoldering issue in Aliso Viejo Orange County Register Alisa Viejo residents continue battling over a proposal to craft an ordinance to ban smoking in multifamily housing.

Arcata

4/19/13

Arcata to fine tune new smoking bans: Questions raised about APD's ability to enforce stricter rules

The Times-Standard During its meeting on Wednesday, the Arcata City Council decided to drop two of the seven proposed revisions to the city's current smoking prohibitions -- smoking within private areas in multi-units housing and options for tobacco-free educational programs.
2/6/13 ARCATA LOOKING TO BAN SMOKING IN APARTMENTS AND ON TAVERN ROW KIEM-TV.com The City of Arcata is looking to ban smoking in areas surrounding the plaza and apartment buildings.

Bay Area

3/4/15 Locals Are Responding To Alameda-Contra Costa Transit Ads For Smokefree Housing Patch.com "Bay Area residents want their city councils and boards of supervisors to adopt similar laws," said American Lung Association spokesperson.
1/20/12 Bay Area cities receive poor grades on smoking prevention report card San Francisco Examiner The scoring for each city is based on whether restrictions on smoking in public outdoor areas are in place, smoking in residential housing is limited, and whether there are restrictions intended to reduce sales of tobacco products.

Belvedere

4/14/16 Belvedere to consider tighter smoking laws

marinij.com Mayor Claire McAuliffe said they had concerns about multifamily buildings such as apartment complexes and condominiums.

Burlingame

5/20/15 City moving forward with smoking ban: Burlingame considers expanding restriction beyond proposed apartments and condominiums The Daily Journal Smokers in Burlingame will likely soon be facing tighter restrictions on where they can light up, as the City Council is laying the groundwork toward banning smoking in attached living facilities such as apartments and condominiums.
5/16/15 Burlingame to consider smoking ban in apartments The Daily Journal Should the multi-unit smoking ban be applied, it would expand the city’s restrictions levied on smokers, which already prohibits smoking in the common areas of apartment buildings, condominiums, senior living homes and other large residential facilities.

Calaveras County

9/16/14 Housing group aims to clear the air among neighbors Calaveras Enterprise Apartments in Calaveras County should close the door to smoking inside, says the Calaveras Multiunit Housing Workgroup, which strives to protect residents from secondhand smoke.
6/20/14 Secondhand smoke problematic for apartment residents Calaveras Enterprise Most residents of apartments in Calaveras County don’t want their fellow tenants lighting up.

Back to top

Campbell

4/12/16 Updated 8/11/16 Campbell seeking resident, landlord oponions on second-hand smoke mercurynews.com Al Bito, the city manager’s assistant, said the survey is to gather opinions and data from those living in or owning multi-family housing such as apartment complexes and condominiums.

Corte Madera

4/15/14 Corte Madera votes to ban smoking, e-cigarette use in multi-family housing units Marin News Corte Madera Town Council members Tuesday voted 3-1, with Councilman Michael Lappert dissenting and Councilwoman Diane Furst absent, to ban smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes in both new and existing multifamily units.

Cotati

2/26/14 Cotati woman pursuing a ban on indoor apartment smoking The Press Democrat The cold is uncomfortable and keeps friends and family from visiting, but Orozco won't tolerate the risk of smoke-tainted air.

Back to top

Culver City

8/14/14 Council Moves Forward on Apartment Smoking Ban Culver City Observer On August 11, the City Council moved a not-at-all-silly millimeter closer to a ban on smoking in apartment complexes and condos, giving direction to the City for drafting an ordinance that would ban smoking in any complex of two or more units.

Danville

10/5/15

Danville council looks to formally approve new smoking ban DanvilleSanRamon.com The Danville Town Council is set to consider final approval of a new ordinance prohibiting smoking at apartments, condominiums and most other multifamily housing complexes Tuesday evening.

Davis

9/2/15 Davis bans smoking in parks, other public areas SacBee.com Davis is now looking at banning smoking in private homes that are part of multifamily housing units.

Dublin

6/27/14 Dublin City Council Approves Housing Element, Sets e-Cigarette Rules The Independent Those regulations include required distances from schools and between shops that sell tobacco, and prohibition of second-hand smoke in specific places such as parks, apartment complexes and businesses.

El Cerrito

5/21/14 El Cerrito plans tighter restrictions on smoking West County Times The City Council showed it's determined to improve on an "F" grade El Cerrito received in a report on regional regulation of smoking, by moving Tuesday to ban lighting up in parks and open space, sidewalks, multifamily housing and commercial areas.
8/21/13 El Cerrito ponders stricter smoking regulations Contra Costa Times The city is exploring the idea of matching Contra Costa County and other East Bay communities in enacting an ordinance regulating smoking in multifamily housing and outdoor areas.

Elk Grove

3/30/12 Elk Grove council backs off from smoking ban in apartment units Sacramento Bee The Elk Grove City Council on Wednesday night decided that persuasion is preferable to the prospect of barring smokers from lighting up inside their own apartment units in the city.
3/29/12 Council Snuffs Out Talk of Apartment Smoking Ban Elk Grove Patch Elk Grove apartment-dwellers are free to keep puffing away, after the City Council decided Wednesday not to take action on prohibiting smoking in residential complexes.
3/29/12 City Council takes no action on apartment smoking Elk Grove Citizen Elk Grove City Council members at their March 28 meeting decided to not pursue citywide restrictions on smoking in apartment complexes.
3/29/12 Elk Grove's Tough Anti-Smoking Proposal Goes Up in Smoke ElkGroveNews.net The Elk Grove City Council agreed unanimously last night not to pursue a tough anti-smoking ordinance for the city' apartments.
3/28/12 Elk Grove to discuss restriction on smoking in rental apartments Sacramento Bee The city of Elk Grove will take a wide-ranging look tonight at the long-fought issue of smoking, including whether to become the first city in the Sacramento region to restrict smoking inside rental units of apartment buildings.
3/28/12 Elk Grove Considers Smoking Ban in Apartments KTXL Fox 40 News Smoking has been banned in a number of public places like restaurants, bars, hospitals and schools, but the ban may be coming into the home; more specifically, apartments.
3/22/12 Elk Grove Considers Banning Smoking In All Apartment Complexes CBS 13 Sacramento You’ve heard the saying smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. But if you got ‘em and you live in an apartment complex in Elk Grove, the luxury of lighting up may soon go up in smoke.

Back to top

El Monte

12/16/15

Smoking banned in El Monte apartment buildings San Gabriel Valley Tribune “This has been in the works for the better part of a year and it has never raised any controversy as far as I know.”

Folsom

1/20/15 Folsom City Council Proposes Banning Smoking in Apartment Homes news.heartland.org Smoking is allowed in private residences and on public sidewalks.
1/14/15

Folsom considers smoking ban in apartments and restaurant patios Sacramento Bee

Sheldon, who has asthma, replied that “a smoker doesn’t have a civil right to affect my right to breathe.”

Foster City

7/23/14 City moves ahead with smoking ban — partly: Foster City Council postpones decisions on restaurant and apartments The Daily Journal However, councilmembers haven’t concurred on whether to prevent smoking in multiunit rental apartments or condos and if it should ban hookah smoke at Waterfront Pizza.
5/21/14 Foster City wants to deter smoking The Daily Journal The council instructed staff to update its draft to ban smoking in rental apartment buildings, on any city-owned property and increase the fines for disobeying the rule.

Freemont
City Ordinance

11/29/15 Fremont to consider smoking ban in future multi-unit residences

Mercury News But rather, the prohibition would be for future construction."
1/24/15

A higher bar for East Bay cities anti-smoking grades

Contra Costa Times Consequently, after several years of receiving high marks for their tobacco control policies, the latest American Lung Association report downgrades Fremont, Pleasant Hill and Martinez because they don't ban smoking in all multiunit housing.
1/11/13 Citywise: Fremont toughens smoking restrictions InsideBayArea.com The new ordinance also requires landlords of multiunit rental homes to disclose smoking areas and smoking complaint policies to prospective tenants.
Fremont City Council Amends Smoking Ordinance City of Freemont CA Requires landlords/managers of multi-unit residential rental buildings to disclose smoking units, smoking areas, and smoking complaint policies to prospective tenants.
12/4/12 Council to Vote on Smoking Ordinance Revisions Freemont Patch The proposed amendments call for the banning of smoking in additional areas, holding landlords accountable to restrict smoking of tenants of multi-housing units, to announce secondhand smoke as a nuisance and to clarify the “reasonable distance” of a smoking area to a non-smoking area.
9/6/12 City Smoking Laws to be Reviewed Freemont Patch Common areas in multi-unit housing developments.

Back to top

Fresno

6/26/14 Fresno apartments go smoke-free The Business Journal New no-smoking rules at Masten Towers at 1240 Broadway St., and Campus Edge Apartments at 1577 Bulldog Lane, are aimed at protecting residents from secondhand smoke in their homes and in common areas.
7/1/13 Fresno apartments adopt smoke-free policy TheBusinessJournal.com Fresno’s Sequoia Gardens, Villas Margaritas and Tower Court apartment complexes have voluntarily adopted a no-smoke policy recommended by the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
1/26/13 Landlords make effort to protect tenants from second-hand smoke KSFN-TV 30 News But Beatrice Has COPD and nodules on her lungs from inhaling someone else's cigarette smoke while she lived in an apartment.

Gilroy

2/16/16

Fighting secondhand smoke

Gilroy Dispatch Even at Gilroy Manor on Sixth Street, a few blocks from City Hall and seemingly Gilroy’s most visible multi-unit seniors’ residence, the city has ignored residents’ wishes and refused to make it a smoke-free building, Joyner said.

Half Moon Bay

1/27/16

Council discusses smoking

hmbreview.com Some of them showed up at a recent Half Moon Bay City Council meeting to share their frustrations around second hand smoke.
4/26/12 HMB going smoke-free? HMBReview.com A group of Half Moon Bay teens wants to clear the smoke from apartments like those on Main Street and Moonridge — and they seem to have the ear of policymakers.

Back to top

Huntington Park

3/1/12 Huntington Park bans smoking inside apartment units Los Angeles Wave Smoking in public areas of apartment and condominium complexes will be banned as of July 1, smoking inside new units will be prohibited as of Jan. 1, 2013, and smoking in existing units will be outlawed as of July 1, 2013, under an ordinance approved 5-0 by the City Council Feb. 21.

Back to top

Kern County

7/2/12 Smoking officially snuffed out in county housing KEGT.com The Housing Authority of the County of Kern, known as HACK, is banned smoking on all of its properties starting this month.
4/11/12 Housing Authority of Kern County (Link may not work) Public Health Services Department Our local Housing Authority Board just passed a 100% smoke-free policy in and within 15 feet of all buildings owned or managed by the Housing Authority. This will go into effect July 1, 2012.

Lafayette

5/2/13 Multifamily housing smoking ban eyed MercuryNews.com Lafayette officials are eyeing changes to the city's municipal code to address the effects of secondhand smoke in apartment buildings and other multiple dwelling units.

Back to top

Laguna Beach

5/29/13 Smoke Free, The Way It Should Be Laguna Beach Independent Why doesn’t the Laguna Beach City Council protect our multi-dwelling homeowners and tenants from being the recipient of second hand smoke?

Laguna Woods

3/16/11 Smoking banned on home patios in Laguna Woods Orange County Register Laguna Woods has become the first city in Orange County to prohibit smokers from lighting up on their home patios.

Long Beach

12/3/15 Smoke-free apartments in Long Beach triple since 2008 Press Telegram The number of smoke-free apartments in Long Beach has more than tripled — from 16 percent to 48 percent — since 2008, according to a city survey released Thursday.

Manhattan Beach

9/17/15

City poised to ban smoking in multi-unit homes EasyReaderNes.com If a resident complained about a neighbor smoking but the landlord didn’t remediate the problem, the resident’s only option would be to file a civil suit against his neighbor, Environmental Programs Manager Sona Coffee said.

Marin County

7/11/12 Sausalito tightening smoking rules Marin Independent Journal Joining other cities across Marin County that are strengthening smoking regulations, Sausalito is making it tougher to light up cigarettes in apartment complexes, marinas and the city's public events.
5/30/12 Should Smoking be Banned in all Apartments, Condos? FindLaw.com County supervisors in Marin have passed a new ordinance that bans smoking in apartments and condominiums.
5/22/12

Marin County outlaws smoking in multi-family housing complexes

marinij.com An ordinance banning smoking in apartment and condominium complexes in Marin's unincorporated areas drew unanimous approval from the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Back to top

Martinez

1/24/15

A higher bar for East Bay cities anti-smoking grades

Merced County

9/22/15 Housing authority in Merced County adopts smoke-free policy Merced Sun Star The rule will go into effect Jan. 1 for all current residents, but has been in effect, as of Sept. 1, for new and transfer tenants, according to Housing Authority officials.
6/20/14 Survey shows tenants want protection from secondhand smoke Merced Sun-Star The survey revealed that Merced County residents are aware of the health risks associated with secondhand smoke.

Modesto

3/4/13 Smoking ban impact on Modesto-area rentals is uneven The Modesto Bee Modesto-area property and apartment managers are split on the merits of proposed legislation that would ban smoking in all of the state's multiunit dwellings.

Back to top

Oakley

1/29/14 Oakley snuffs out smoking for some apartment dwellers Contra Costa Times In response to repeated complaints from some renters about exposure to secondhand smoke, the City Council on Tuesday adopted a no-smoking ordinance that requires landlords to make at least some units off-limits to smokers and calls for all apartment complexes built in the future to be entirely smoke-free.

Orinda

4/24/15 Orinda looks at snuffing out smoke MercuryNews.com City leaders agreed this week to develop an ordinance to stamp out smoking in outdoor dining areas and public events, and create smoke-free housing in existing apartments and condominiums.

Palo Alto

5/13/15

Palo Alto: Committee balks at restricting smoking in apartments, condos mercurynews.com But a City Council committee stopped short Tuesday night of making a recommendation that the full council add apartments and condos to the list of places people aren't allowed to light up -- for now.

Pasadena

2/6/14 Pasadena gets another ‘A’ in curbing tobacco use PasadenaWeekly.com “Last year, the city fully implemented laws which prohibit smoking in common areas in apartment buildings, including all units, common areas, patios and balconies. Building owners are required to post ‘No Smoking’ signs in all common areas and inform potential lessees and renters of the ban in their tenant agreements.”

Back to top

Petaluma

1/23/14 Petaluma's secondhand smoke rules lauded; mixed grades for rest of county PressDemocrat.com “I’m happy we did that,” Mayor David Glass said, referring to the Petaluma council’s approval last January of a smoking ban that covered all private housing with at least one shared wall — apartments, duplexes and condos.
1/16/13 Petaluma starts 2013 with trash, smoking ordinances The Press Democrat In December, the council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the new regulations, which include banning cigarette, marijuana and e-cigarette use in all hotel rooms, private apartments and condos, and from outdoor spaces including balconies, courtyards, bus stops and on commercial sidewalks.
1/8/13 Petaluma council toughens smoking restrictions Petaluma360.com New multi-family housing units must be smoke-free by July 16.
1/2/13 Poll: Tighter smoking rules a good idea Pulse of Petaluma The owner of a rental complex should be able to decide if he or she wants their complex to be smoking or non smoking.
12/5/12 PD Editorial: The haze of second-hand smoke PressDemocrat.com Although the ordinance included a controversial move to ban smoking inside apartment and condominium complexes as well as hotels, restricting smoking to designated outside areas, city officials found that few property owners had a problem with the changes.
12/3/12 Petaluma City Council OKs tough smoking restrictions PressDemocrat.com The City Council late Monday night unanimously approved broad new smoking restrictions, including banning smoking in multi-family housing units, such as apartments and condos, and from certain outdoor spaces, including private balconies, decks, courtyards and bus stops.

Pleasant Hill

1/24/15

A higher bar for East Bay cities anti-smoking grades

Richmond

1/24/15

A higher bar for East Bay cities anti-smoking grades

Contra Costa Times But in the past few years, other cities -- including Walnut Creek and Richmond -- have passed tougher laws, raising the bar for all others.

Back to top

Roseville

1/19/12 Roseville gets an F for tobacco control Rosevillept.com The city of Roseville — along with hundreds of other municipalities — received an F grade for overall tobacco control, which addresses smoke-free outdoor environments, smoke-free housing, and reducing sales of tobacco products.

Sacramento

5/1/14 Sacramento Apartment Complex to Go Smoke-Free Fox 40 News The Lincoln Place apartment complex in Sacramento is giving up smoking – completely.

Back to top

San Andreas

6/13/14 Support For Protection Form Secondhand Smoke mymotherload.com Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp says, "Making smoke-free multiunit housing available to the public is common sense public health and can result in financial benefits to landlords and owners through reduced maintenance and turnover costs."

San Anselmo

11/25/14 Town of San Anselmo Staff Report At its September 23 and October 28 meetings, the Town Council indicated that it would like to follow San Rafael's lead by adopting an ordinance banning smoking in all multi-unit residences.

San Bernardino

9/12/12 Several multi-unit housings go smoke free The Press-Enterprise Apartment and townhome complexes in San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Redlands, Colton, Rancho Cucamonga, Alta Loma, and Rialto have implemented regulations to protect residents in multi-unit housing from exposure to secondhand smoke.

Back to top

San Diego

4/8/15

Secondhand smoke still on the rise

San Diego Tribune Statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that reduced exposure to SHS have been slower and exposure remains higher among children, African-Americans, those living in poverty and those living in rental housing.
3/24/15

Man says smoking neighbors making his mom sick

10News.com A viewer called 10News, frustrated with managers of his Oak Park apartment complex because he said they're ignoring complaints about tenants who are violating the non-smoking policy.
11/4/14 Apartment owners pushed to butt out SanDiegoReader.com San Diego County officials have stepped behind a push by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to encourage apartment-building owners to ban smoking anywhere on their properties.
3/30/12 PROPOSAL WOULD BAN SMOKING IN CONDOS, RENTALS UT San Diego News Smoking in apartments and condos in the city of San Diego could be banned if a proposed ordinance becomes official.
2/29/12 Getting Smoked Out By the Neighbors San Diego Reader My new neighbor downstairs is a smoker. Even with all of our windows and doors shut, I can still smell their smoke.
12/29/12 Could smoking be banned in SD apartments?
2/16/12 City ordinance being studied which could ban smoking in apartment dwellings La Jolla Light A San Diego City Council committee asked the City Attorney’s Office today to evaluate a possible ordinance under which an apartment-dwelling smoker could be punished if someone else in the building objected and possibly evicted if the smoker did not stop.
2/15/12 Smoking in apartments could be outlawed Fox News 5 A San Diego City Council committee wants the City Attorney's Office to evaluate a possible ordinance under which an apartment-dwelling smoker could be punished if someone else in the building objected and possibly evicted if the smoker did not stop.
2/15/12 Report to the City Council The City of San Diego Requested Action
1/23/12 Apartment Dwellers Still Subject to Secondhand Smoke The California Report But people who live in apartment buildings are left largely unprotected against exposure to secondhand smoke. Reporter: Kenny Goldberg
1/17/12 Few Protections Against Secondhand Smoke In California Apartments KPBS.org However, people who live in multifamily housing are left largely unprotected against exposure to secondhand smoke.

Back to top

San Francisco

7/12/12 (No link at this time)

Last night, on July 12, the San Francisco Housing Commission voted unanimously to adopt a smoke-free housing policy for all new public housing tenants.

While Housing Authority staff recommended waiting to do additional vetting of the policy with tenants, Housing Commissioner Ahsha Safai, who referred to tenants' exposure to drifting second hand smoke into their homes as a public health emergency, was adamant that the Commission adopt the policy last night and that the new policy be included in the annual Public Housing Authority Plan which the Commission adopted yesterday. Commissioners voted unanimously to do so and the Housing Authority staff will be coming back to the Commission after doing additional vetting to report on their implementation plan.

Alyonik Hrushow, MPH

Tobacco Free Project Director

Community Health Promotion and Prevention San Francisco Department of Public Health

San Jose

5/22/12 Outdoor Smoking Ban Extended to Patios, Waiting Lines, Condo Commons NeighborWebSJ.com The San Jose City Council voted unanimously to extend the ban on outdoor smoking to include outdoor patios, standing in line at ATMs or movie theaters and in common outdoor areas of apartment and condo complexes.
4/10/12

San Jose expands outdoor smoking ban

Silicon Valley Mercury News Outdoor dining areas, outdoor common areas of apartments and condos, service lines such as bus stops and ATMs, all are off limits to smoking.

Back to top

San Mateo County

7/22/15

San Mateo considers stronger anti-smoking ordinance

San Mateo County Times The City Council voiced support Monday night for banning cigarette smoking in all multifamily dwellings and public parks as well as "public service areas" where people congregate such as bus stops and ATM and movie theater lines.
7/22/15 San Mateo moves toward more stringent smoking ban: Ordinance considers e-cigs, marijuana, smoking in multi-unit apartments The Daily Journal Between residents of multi-unit apartments who spoke of neighbor’s cigarette smoke creeping into their homes and Police Chief Susan Manheimer noting possession of e-cigarettes is the number one violation amongst middle school students, the council unanimously voted to proceed with crafting a stronger regulations.
2/27/15 San Mateo aiming for smoke ban: City Council prioritizes addressing secondhand smoke in apartments The Daily Journal San Mateo officials are planning to follow in the footsteps of neighboring cities as they prioritized the consideration of an ordinance aimed at protecting residents from secondhand smoke exposure.
10/22/14

San Mateo County bans smoking inside apartments, condos and townhomes

Inside Bay Area Smoking either tobacco or electronic cigarettes will be prohibited inside apartments, condominiums and townhomes in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County under a ban approved 4-1 Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.
10/18/14

Smoking cigarettes inside apartments and condos may be banned in parts of San Mateo County

San Mateo Mercury News The days that smokers can light up cigarettes inside their apartments in unincorporated San Mateo County may be numbered.
8/16/14 IDEA and progress San Mateo Daily Journal Quasi-public is defined as “essentially public although under private ownership or control” and includes everything from a shopping center to common interest developments (which includes homeowners’ associations as well as apartments) through to commercial buildings and their sidewalks and passage ways.
3/25/14 Smoking inside apartments soon may become illegal in San Mateo County San Mateo Mercury-News Smoking inside apartments, condominiums and other multiple housing units may be a no-no in unincorporated San Mateo County.
3/22/14 San Mateo County mulls smoking ban: Ordinance would limit tobacco use inside unincorporated area’s apartments, condos The Daily Journal Supervisor Carole Groom, one of the possible ban’s proponents, wants the public to turn out at Tuesday’s meeting to support the idea of tamping down smoking and its associated health hazards.
3/20/14 San Mateo County flirts with the idea of banning smoking inside apartments San Jose Mercury News Smokers in unincorporated San Mateo County won't be allowed to light up inside their own apartments under a proposed ordinance the Board of Supervisors is schedule to review Tuesday.

San Ramon

03/2013 Interest in secondhand smoke policies heating up in Contra Costa The Valley Sentinel The new law prohibits smoking in many outdoor areas including doorways of buildings open to the public, parks and recreations areas (except golf courses) and certain areas of multi-unit housing.
2/11/13 Public hearing set for citywide smoking ordinance San Ramon Express News Exemption includes * Smoking inside a multi-family housing unit and in an unenclosed area designated for smoking, but not on patios or balconies accessed from an individual unit or in common areas.

Back to top

Santa Barbara

6/6/12 Towbes Group's Apartment Portfolio Goes Smoke Free The Towbe's Group Inc. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The 13 multifamily properties managed by Santa Barbara-based The Towbes Group, Inc. has become the largest apartment portfolio in California to self-impose a no-smoking policy within the individual units and common areas.

Santa Clara County

7/13/14 Ban smoking in apartments: Santa Clara County cities should join the trend San Jose Mercury News You can take care of of yourself and your family by not smoking, but your health is also governed by the choices of neighbors in multi-unit housing.

Santa Cruz

7/22/12 Santa Cruz allows disabled woman to be smoked out then publishes Fair Housing pamphlet Santa Cruz IMZ Yet a little more than a year ago, between May and June 2011, the City of Santa Cruz discriminated against my sister Patricia Colby at the Mission Gardens Apartments by denying her a reasonable accommodation for the effects of secondhand tobacco smoke used by recalcitrant smokers at the Mission Gardens Apartments to kill her based upon her disabilities.

Back to top

Santa Rosa County

3/31/15

PD Editorial: Banning multi-family smoking

Press Democrat Smoke, like noise, knows no walls, which is why the city of Santa Rosa is on the right track with its proposal to ban smoking inside multi-family complexes and to limit it to designated outdoor areas.
8/26/14 Santa Rosa moves toward tighter restrictions on secondhand smoke RessDemocrat.com Smoking tobacco, marijuana and even electronic cigarettes in apartments, condominiums and most public places would be banned in Santa Rosa under a sweeping expansion of the city’s anti-smoking laws supported by the City Council on Tuesday.
11/14/12 Santa Rosa County Health Department Santa Rosa's Press Gazette People who live in multi-unit housing, such as apartment buildings and condominiums, are at risk if there is not a smokefree policy in place.

Saratoga

2/24/16

Saratoga: Tobacco grade is better, but work continues

Mercury News Saratoga The State of Tobacco Control report released on Feb. 3 gave Saratoga an overall C mark based on the city's policies related to smoke-free outdoor air, smoke-free housing and efforts to reduce the sale of tobacco products, signifying an improvement, albeit a slight one, over the F and D grades it received in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Sunnyvale

2/17/16

Sunnyvale: New smoking ordinance bans smoking in multi-family housing units Mercury News The council spent quite some time debating the issues of medical marijuana and smoking inside multi-family housing.

Tehama County

6/27/14 County lauds smoke-free housing providers Red Bluff Daily News These apartment complexes have taken the plunge to voluntarily adopt a smoke-free policy, providing 50-100 percent of units completely smoke-free.

Tulare County

6/12/14 Survey finds concerns over secondhand smoke The Porterville Recorder A new survey of Tulare County tenants shows support for more protections from secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing, the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency announced Wednesday.
7/6/13 Tulare County health officials want to establish smoke-free environment Visalia Times-Delta The smoke-free policy seeks to reduce exposure to second and thirdhand smoke — the latter of which is when smoke lingers in a residence after the tenant has moved, county health officials said.

Vallejo

4/28/13 Health fair promotes smoke-free housing in Vallejo Times-Herald "There are no smoke-free (apartment) complexes in Vallejo," said Mark Mora, Fighting Back Partnership project manager.

Back to top

Visalia

4/12/12 Designate rental units as non-smoking Visalia Times-Delta While the health consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke are well-known, in the debate on smoke-free homes, apartment owners and managers should also consider the physical and financial consequences of allowing smoking in their complex.

Walnut Creek

7/2/16 Walnut Creek no-smoking ordinance tested downtown Contra Costa Times The city's nearly two-year campaign to ban smoking in apartments has cleared the air for many tenants, ...
1/30/14 Walnut Creek's secondhand-smoking ban now in effect Contra Costa Times The law bans smoking in and around multiunit residences, in the downtown area, in all recreational areas and at all commercially zoned properties.
1/24/15

A higher bar for East Bay cities anti-smoking grades

Contra Costa Times But in the past few years, other cities -- including Walnut Creek and Richmond -- have passed tougher laws, raising the bar for all others.
11/22/13 Barnidge: Where there's smoke, there's trouble for Walnut Creek Council Contra Costa Times That's a position, of course, that ignores the rights of neighbors to breathe without inhaling secondhand smoke.
10/23/13 Letters to the Walnut Creek Journal -- Praising the secondhand-smoke ordinance; opposing Safeway project ContraCostaTimes.com My husband and I lived comfortably in Rossmoor until a smoker moved into the unit below us.
10/9/13 Portion of Walnut Creek groundbreaking secondhand smoke law takes effect Oct. 31
Contra Costa Times It bans smoking in all multiunit residences, all of downtown, all recreational areas and all commercially zoned properties, and in all public places.
9/18/13 Walnut Creek passes toughest secondhand smoking law in the Contra Costa County Contra Costa Times By February, those who live in apartments, condos and townhomes will no longer be allowed to smoke tobacco inside or outside of their homes.
8/5/13 Secondhand smoke ordinance delayed in Walnut Creek Contra Costa Times A city law to ban smoking in most of downtown Walnut Creek as well as in and around apartments and condos has yet to be adopted.
6/14/13

Walnut Creek council to consider stricter secondhand smoke ordinance Tuesday

MercuryNews.com The city would post signs in parks and downtown to serve as public notification and property owners would be required to disclose smoking restrictions to prospective tenants and buyers, she said.
2/25/13 Walnut Creek to draw up prospective second-hand smoke ordinance Contra Costa Times The City Council has asked staff to study a prospective ordinance imposing restrictions on smoking downtown and in apartment buildings and other multifamily homes, along with other ways to cut second-hand smoke exposure dramatically.

Back to top

Wilmont

1/24/12

Large senior apartment complex goes smokefree Santa Monica Daily News Today, Westminster Tower has been declared smokefree to all new residents.

"But now God has shown us a different way to heaven - not by "being good enough" and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us - declare us "not guilty" - if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; yet now God declares us "not guilty" of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins." Romans 3:21-24 Living Bible