Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

HousingBase ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our affordable housing platform and services (collectively, the "Services").

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the Services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when using our Services, including:

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, date of birth
• Application Data: Household composition, income information, employment history, current and previous addresses, landlord references
• Identity Verification: Government-issued ID, Social Security Number (for income verification and background checks)
• Financial Information: Income sources, bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, housing voucher details
• Documents: Uploaded files such as photo IDs, income verification documents, rental history, and reference letters
• Communications: Messages sent through contact forms, support tickets, or email correspondence

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our Services, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clicks, search queries, features used
• Location Data: General location based on IP address, precise location if you grant permission
• Cookies and Tracking: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity and hold certain information (see Section 6)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

• Background Check Providers: Credit history, criminal background, eviction records (with your consent)
• Income Verification Services: Employment and income validation
• Property Managers: Application status updates, housing availability
• Government Agencies: Housing voucher verification, public assistance program participation

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

• Provide Services: Process housing applications, match you with available properties, facilitate communication with property managers
• Eligibility Determination: Calculate Area Median Income (AMI) percentages, verify program eligibility
• Account Management: Create and maintain your account, authenticate users
• Communications: Send application status updates, property alerts, customer support responses
• Platform Improvement: Analyze usage patterns, conduct research, develop new features
• Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Fraud Prevention: Detect and prevent fraudulent applications, security threats, and illegal activities
• Marketing: Send newsletters, promotional materials (with your consent, opt-out available)

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following parties:

4.1 Property Managers and Landlords

When you submit a housing application, we share your application data with the property managers of properties you apply to. This includes personal information, household composition, income data, and uploaded documents necessary for application review.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf:

• Background check and credit reporting agencies
• Income and employment verification services
• Cloud storage providers (for document storage)
• Email and communication platforms
• Analytics providers
• Payment processors

4.3 Government Agencies

We may share information with housing authorities and government agencies to verify voucher eligibility, public assistance program participation, and compliance with affordable housing regulations.

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal process (subpoenas, court orders)
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Prevent fraud or illegal activities
• Protect the rights and safety of others

4.5 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure cloud infrastructure with access controls
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Employee training on data protection
• Multi-factor authentication for account access

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Services and hold certain information. Cookies are files with small amounts of data that are sent to your browser and stored on your device.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Services to function (authentication, security)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our Services
• Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements (with your consent)

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Services.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

7.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

7.2 Correction

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

7.3 Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, ongoing applications).

7.4 Restriction and Objection

You have the right to restrict or object to certain processing of your information, including marketing communications.

7.5 Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent for processing, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time.

7.6 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@housingbase.io. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Active Applications: Retained during application review process and for up to 7 years after completion for legal compliance
• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for 3 years after account closure
• Communications: Retained for 2 years for customer service purposes
• Marketing Data: Retained until you opt-out or request deletion

9. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

Note: Information about minors may be collected as part of household composition data when adults submit housing applications on behalf of their families.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used
• Right to delete personal information (with certain exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights

We do not sell your personal information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when posted on this page.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: