Privacy Statement

This privacy statement (the “Privacy Statement” or “Statement”) of Agency (“Agency,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) describes our privacy practices regarding personal information we collect, including from persons (“you” or “your”) who access our Agency’s direct-to-beneficiary grant program portal website or our related mobile applications that may be available for download (collectively, the “Site”).

PURPOSE. The purpose of this Privacy Statement is to inform you about the types of personal information we gather about you, including personal information gathered when you visit the Site, and personal information we may receive from third parties in addition to that online information, how we may use that information, whether we disclose that information to anyone, and the choices you have regarding our use of, and your ability to correct, the information.

THE SITE IS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN AND AGENCY DOES NOT KNOWINGLY SOLICIT OR COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE SITE FROM CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. IF AGENCY LEARNS THAT A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 13 HAS SUBMITTED PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION TO AGENCY THROUGH THE SITE, IT WILL TAKE REASONABLE MEASURES TO DELETE SUCH INFORMATION FROM ITS RECORDS AND TO NOT USE SUCH INFORMATION FOR ANY PURPOSE (EXCEPT WHERE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE CHILD OR OTHERS, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, OR AS MAY OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED BY LAW).

YOUR CONSENT AND STATEMENT CHANGES. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE PRIVACY STATEMENT CAREFULLY. BY USING THE SITE, YOU EXPRESSLY CONSENT, WITHOUT QUALIFICATION, TO THE COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION, INCLUDING PERSONAL INFORMATION, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE THE SITE.

Agency may amend this Privacy Statement from time to time. We will post those changes on the website or update the Privacy Statement date below.  In certain cases, you will be notified via email or by a notice on our website. 

PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

We collect, process and store various types of Personal Information.  For purposes of this Policy, “Personal Information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household.  It does not include de-identified or aggregate information, or public information lawfully available from governmental records.

Personal Information we collect may include:  your name, email addresses, postal addresses, postal codes, user Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, social security/insurance number, driver’s license number, prior addresses, monthly rent, employers, job titles, income, telephone numbers, bank account information and routing numbers, date of birth, gender, age, marital status, user name and password (if you choose to become a registered user of the Site), emergency contact information, and other information either desirable or necessary to provide quality services to our applicants.  We may also collect information about you such as your use of the Site and communication preferences.

Your Personal Information may be retained for as long as you use the Site or our products and services. Retention periods may be extended if we are required to preserve your personal information because of litigation, investigations and other similar proceedings, or if a longer retention period is required or permitted by applicable law.

We do not and will not sell your Personal Information.

Additional Information about How We Collect and Share your Personal Information

With respect to each of the categories of data above, we may also collect and share Personal Information with third parties to comply with legal obligations; as necessary to process direct-to-beneficiary grant assistance applications; when we believe in good faith that an applicable law requires it; at the request of governmental authorities or other third parties conducting an investigation; to detect and protect against fraud, or any technical or security vulnerabilities; to respond to an emergency; or otherwise to protect the rights, property, safety, or security of our business, third parties, visitors to our websites and mobile apps, or the public.

We may disclose personal information to third parties to assist us in performing the services. These third parties have access to the information you submit only to perform these tasks on our behalf.

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT

We will continue to collect the same categories of Personal Information listed above, for the same purposes. 

USE OF COOKIES AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES. Like many other website operators, Agency may use cookies to customize content specific to your interests and track your use of the Site. “Cookies” are text files that are placed on your computer and may be used to store your personal information. In addition to cookies, Agency may use other now known or later developed technologies, to assist Agency in observing the behavior of users visiting the Site. These technologies access individual user information but the information is used only to compile aggregated statistics about the Site’s usage.

Our service providers may use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website.

You can choose to delete existing cookies, allow or block cookies, and set preferences for certain websites in your browser’s settings. Please note you may not be able to use the full functionality of the Site if you choose to block all cookies.

EMAIL MANAGEMENT. You may receive emails from Agency or its representatives related to your application for direct-to-beneficiary grant assistance, and other important transactional or administrative information. If you have an account with Agency on the Site, you can select your preferences through your account settings.

THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected by Agency. This Privacy Statement does not apply to other websites that are accessible through this Site, including but not limited to any third-party websites.

ACCESSING, REVIEWING AND CHANGING YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. As an account holder, you can see, review and change most of your contact information associated with your Account Profile by logging into your account and editing your Account Profile.  For assistance, you may contact us using one of the methods listed below. With some exceptions, you have the right to see what Personal Information we hold about you. We can help you identify what records we might have about you. We may need to confirm your identity before providing you with this access, and if we cannot verify your identity with the degree of certainty required, we will not be able to respond to your request.  If we cannot give you access, we will tell you within 45 days of receipt of your request and provide you with a reason, as best we can, as to why we cannot give you access.

PERSONAL INFORMATION OF MINORS. Our Sites are not directed to minors under the age of 16 and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information from minors.  We may collect Personal Information of minors, provided by parents or guardians, in connection with the application for direct-to-beneficiary grant assistance.  We do not sell the Personal Information of minors.

Do Not Track

“Do Not Track” is a privacy preference that users can set in certain web browsers.  We do not respond to browser or do not track signals.

ACCESSIBILITY.  We are committed to ensuring that our communications are accessible to people with disabilities.  This website is designed to meet content accessibility guidelines.  To make accessibility-related requests or report barriers, please contact us using one of the methods below.

CONTACTING US.  If you have questions regarding this Privacy Statement or use of information collected, please contact the Agency using the Contact Us form.

Updated:  January 3, 2022