Housing Authority employees must not divulge information about our program applicants or participants to anyone not authorized to receive such information.
Generally, information need only be shared with other housing authority employees who are also acting in the performance of their duties. However, disclosures of confidential information to other housing authority employees should be avoided if it serves no useful purpose.
Any disclosure of individual applicants’ or participants’ program status or other personal information to anyone outside the immediate work group requires prior supervisory information to be divulged is that which is covered by the authorization, waiver, subpoena, or summons.
Do not provide information on one client to another client. The client participating in the conversation may consider your comments to be indiscreet and assume you are similarly indiscreet in discussing his/her affairs with others.
Discussion of client matters with outsiders such as personal friends, family members, etc. should be avoided even the information appears to be of a non-confidential nature. Most individuals are very sensitive about every aspect of their lives being discussed, even their status as an applicant. These sensitivities should be respected at all times.
Client affairs should not be discussed in public areas, i.e., restaurants, elevators, etc. where the discussion may be overheard by others.
Furthermore, procedures and practices of the Authority should not be discussed outside the established chain of command unless withholding such information would be contrary to public policy.
I have read the foregoing and understand the nature of its contents concerning confidentiality of the Authority’s clients and other privileged information, and agree to abide by the guidelines listed above.