Boston, MA Cruz Management, a third generation minority-owned family company serving tenants in over 1,600 units in the cities of Boston and New Bedford, formed a new partnership with Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to implement a smoke-free policy that will increase health and safety for all of its residents.

“We thank Cruz Management for their work to provide safe and healthy environments for Boston residents,” said Felix Arroyo, Boston’s chief of Health and Human Services. “As a lifelong asthmatic, I know how important it is to ensure children and families are able to breathe clean air.”

Cruz Management recently notified its residents of the policy, which goes into effect July 1, following a survey that found widespread, positive support amongst tenants for smoke-free buildings.

“This is a healthy policy for all of the families living in our properties, and we are pleased by the strong support for this initiative,” said Justin Cruz, director of Cruz. “We look forward to working with Boston Public Health Commission and our more than 4,000 residents during the transition to smoke-free buildings over the coming months.”

BPHC will be working with Cruz Management to offer training and technical assistance to help staff communicate its new policy with residents as it is incorporates new smoke-free language into leases. BPHC will also help connect residents to resources if they want to quit, or learn more about smoking cessation strategies.

“We are proud of Cruz Management for talking the leadership to adopt this policy which will benefit thousands of families,” said Eugene Barros, associate director of the BPHC Division of Healthy Homes and Community Supports. “This will make a big difference especially for the many residents and children who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems and are highly sensitive to smoke.”

BPHC started its Smoke-Free-Homes program in 2008 and has since helped hundred of landlords, including the Boston Housing Authority, become smoke-free. More than 20 local housing agencies and community development corporations have now adopted the policy, which results in healthier, safer and easier to maintain buildings.

A division of Cruz Companies, one of the oldest and largest minority-owned companies in the northeast, Cruz Management is a full service real estate property management firm, which provides quality services to property owners in the Greater Boston area that include the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency the Department of Housing and Urban Development and private owners.

The Cruz Management team has won a reputation for professionalism and partnership with residents, housing agencies and community groups. Cruz Management services more than 1,600 units in the cities of Boston and New Bedford, Massachusetts, as well as sites in Miami, Florida. These residential units are financed through a variety of programs, such as: Projects Based Section 8, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Section 236, Sharpe Developments and Hope VI Developments.