Privacy policy | Haumaru Housing

‍

Haumaru Housing Limited Partnership respects your privacy

‍

Your privacy is important to Haumaru Housing Limited Partnership. We are committed to protecting the personal information we may collect from time to time.

This Privacy Policy sets out how we collect, use, store and disclose the personal information (as defined in the Privacy Act 2020 – "Privacy Act") that you provide, or authorise others to provide to us, and to assist you to make informed decisions when using our services. You will also find information about how to contact us if you have any questions about privacy issues, including how to update or access your personal information or make a complaint.

By providing your personal information to us, you consent to our collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this policy.

We may change this policy from time to time and we will inform you of changes via our web site and newsletters.

‍

What information do we collect?

The personal information we collect will include your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, gender, date of birth and other personal information you knowingly choose to disclose, or authorise others to disclose to us for the purpose of applying for a social housing tenancy or as supplied to enable us to carry out our business.

We may also collect the name and contact details of your next of kin (NOK) or other emergency contact person(s), any Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) you have appointed and/or the executor of your estate. It is optional to provide this information and access to housing will not be impacted if the NOK or emergency contact is not provided however it will make it easier for us as a landlord to get in contact with this person in an emergency situation and you require their help or support.

Any personal information we collect about you will be dealt with in accordance with this policy, unless we tell you that it will be dealt with in a more limited way on a particular form or website.

‍

How and why we collect information?

We only collect information we consider necessary for our business activities. The information is provided to us by you, another person or organisation that you authorise to disclose information to us, or a party acting on your behalf for the purpose of:

Considering and processing applications for a social housing tenancy either directly to us or via the Social Housing Register operated by the Ministry of Social Development;
Assessing your suitability for a social housing tenancy, including the ability to live independently, with or without support;
Requests for access to a service ancillary to the primary business you have with us, including services associated with your wellbeing;
Communication between us, including without limitation, by letter, telephone, e-mail, electronic means including via our website or social media, and the submission of forms and applications;
Applying to us for employment;
Meeting your obligations to us and our obligations to you.

‍

What we do with the information we gather

We use the information to understand and service your needs as well as meet our obligations, and in particular for the following reasons:

To identify you so that we do not release or use your information inappropriately;
To communicate with you or your authorised representative about any dealings we are having, or may wish to have;
To provide you with information about events and services;
To carry out activities connected with the running of our business;
To complete administrative transactions such as record keeping and the processing of payments;
To assess any application you may make to us;
To navigate you towards any social or wrap-around services that may be requested or required;
To improve the services we provide to you;
To contact you when we are doing research;
To carry out functions associated with the performance of our business services such as induction or training, and to fulfil our obligations as an employer;
Any other purpose that we may notify you of from time to time.

‍

We may share your information

Your personal information will not be sold, traded, rented or otherwise provided to others without your consent. This information will only be shared in line with the requirements of the Privacy Act 2020.

In specific circumstances, some Privacy Act requirements may be limited or overridden by other legislation, usually where there is an overriding public interest factor (for example, the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 and the Family Violence Act 2018). In addition, to enable us to conduct our business for your benefit, it may be necessary for us to share your information from time to time with:

Any person where the information is already in the public domain;
A person or service provider engaged by Haumaru Housing for the purpose of providing services to you, or on your behalf;
Any third party where we are obliged by law to provide information;
Any other party you have authorised us to provide your private information to;
Any person dealing with a situation integral to your wellbeing in circumstances where you are not capable of providing the information yourself, including without limitation, medical emergencies;
Any agency assisting us with the investigation or prevention of criminal activity including fraud;
Any agency assisting us in monitoring the safety and security of our social housing;
Any agency providing information about you as part of our assessment of your suitability for employment, including without limitation, the New Zealand Police;
Other persons or organisations that we may notify you about from time to time.
While others may have access to your personal information needed to perform and provide services, we will not authorise them to use your personal information for any purpose that is inconsistent with this policy.

‍

Contacting your family/next of kin or other emergency contact

We may contact your family, next of kin (NOK) or other emergency contact(s) in any of the following circumstances:

We have reasonable grounds to consider that your welfare may be at risk;
We have reasonable grounds to consider that you are unable to look after yourself due to an accident, illness or incapacity;
In the event of a medical emergency; or
You have given us your express approval to do so.

‍

Contacting your Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) or executor

We may ask that you provide us with the contact details of any EPOA you have appointed, so we can get in touch with them if you become mentally incapable. This is because your EPOA can make certain decisions on your behalf in such circumstances.
For you to be considered to be "mentally incapable", it must be shown that you do not have the capacity to:

(i) Understand the nature of decisions about matters relating to your personal care and welfare;

(ii) Foresee the consequences of decisions about matters relating to your personal care and welfare; or

(iii) Communicate decisions about those matters.

You must also be certified as "mentally incapable" by a qualified health practitioner. We will only get in touch with your EPOA where these requirements have been met, otherwise, your EPOA cannot make any significant decisions on your behalf.

We will only contact the executor appointed to administer your estate in the event that there are matters that require their consent.

‍

What if you choose not to provide your personal information to us?

Providing your personal information will always be optional for you. However, some services may not be available to you if you choose not to provide it.

The consequences of failing or refusing to provide personal information might be:

An inability to assess your application for any services that you are applying for, or deliver services, including a tenancy agreement for a social housing tenancy;
Not being able to adequately respond to your correspondence, process payments or otherwise effectively administer our business and carry out our commercial obligations;
Failure to provide information to you;
Failure to meet the expectations we both have for the delivery of services, including those services that may be integral to your wellbeing;
Not being able to consider your application for employment.

‍

Email and other electronic communications

We are committed to full compliance with the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007.

You may have the option to subscribe to certain promotional and marketing email and/or text communications. By subscribing to our email and/or text communications, or otherwise providing us with your email address and/or mobile number, you consent to receiving emails and/or texts (as the case may be) which promote and market our products and services, or the products and services of others, from time to time.

You can opt out of those communications at any stage by utilizing the corresponding "unsubscribe" facility. Once you have unsubscribed from our email or text communications, we will remove you from the corresponding marketing list as soon as is reasonably practicable.

‍

Security and accuracy

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to avoid unauthorized access, modification or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and organisational procedures to safeguard and secure the private information we collect.

We take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that the information we record is accurate.

‍

Privacy breach

In the unlikely event that we become aware of a privacy breach resulting in unauthorised or accidental access to, or disclosure, alteration, loss or destruction of, personal information held by us, we are required to follow the procedures in the Privacy Act 2020 to assess whether the breach is a "notifiable privacy breach". This may also arise if we are prevented from accessing the personal information held by us on a permanent or temporary basis. If the breach is determined to be a notifiable privacy breach, we will ensure that we:

notify the Privacy Commissioner as soon as practicable after we become aware that the breach has occurred; and
notify any affected individuals as soon as practicable, unless we are not required to under the exceptions at section 120 of the Privacy Act.

A privacy breach is considered to be a notifiable privacy breach if it is reasonable to believe it has caused, or is likely to cause, harm to an affected individual, taking into account (for example):

any action taken by us to reduce the risk of harm following the breach;
whether the personal information is sensitive in nature;
the nature of the harm that may be caused to the affected individuals;
the person or body that has obtained or may obtain personal information as a result of the breach; and
whether the personal information is protected by a security measure.

If you become aware of a privacy breach, whether or not you consider it is notifiable or not, please contact the Privacy Officer immediately. The Privacy Officer can be contacted using the details provided below.

‍

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You may obtain confirmation from us as to whether or not we hold personal information about you. You may request details of the personal information we hold about you and request that any inaccurate information is removed or corrected, subject to any exceptions set out in the Privacy Act. You can make changes to your personal information by contacting us using the details provided below:

Phone: 0800 430 101

Mail: PO BOX 8475, Symonds St, Auckland 1150

Email: privacy@haumaruhousing.co.nz

We will respond to you as soon as practicable following receipt of such request, but will not provide you with information unless we can establish evidence of identity and entitlement, and we may charge a fee to collate and provide the information requested.

‍

How do you make a complaint?

We take your concerns seriously. If you have any concerns about privacy or the use or collection of your personal information by Haumaru Housing Limited Partnership please email us at privacy@haumaruhousing.co.nz and include the words ‘FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE PRIVACY OFFICER’ or call us on 0800 430 101.

We will respond as quickly as possible (our target response time to acknowledgement the complaint is two working days) and handle all complaints in a way that is fair and consistent.

However, if you remain dissatisfied, you can also make a formal complaint with the regulator responsible for privacy in New Zealand:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

Complaints may be made:

Phone: 0800 803 909

Mail: Office of the Privacy Commissioner, PO Box

10094, Wellington 6143

Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz

Online: https://www.privacy.org.nz/your-rights/making-a-complaint/complaint-self-assessment/

‍

How long do we hold personal information?

Personal information is held amongst our current or archived records for as long as it is administratively necessary to do so, or for as long as prescribed by statute, including the Public Records Act 2005.

‍

Policy changes

It may become necessary for us to update the terms of this policy. Your continuing relationship with us following any updates constitutes acceptance of this policy as amended. We recommend that you check back from time to time to make sure you are aware of any updates. If you do not agree to any updated terms from time to time, you must immediately cease using any of our services.

‍

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 1 Feb 2022

‍