Fact sheet - Personal information
Personal information
Housing Connect may share your personal information with your consent to help you get the housing assistance and support you need. Your personal information may also be shared without your consent where required by law.
What is personal information?
Personal information is defined by the Personal Information Protection Act 2004. Personal information is information that identifies you and includes:
- your name
- your address
- your date of birth
- information about your health or mobility.
Why is my personal information shared?
Your personal information is shared to help you with the housing assistance and support you need to get or keep your housing. Your personal information is shared with your consent.
Your personal information may also be shared without your consent where required by law.
Who can see and use my personal information?
Housing Connect services that work directly with you can see and use your personal information. Housing Connect is made up of services working together to provide:
- front door services
- support services
- crisis and transitional accommodation services.
Housing Connect services also share your personal information with housing providers, real estate agents and the Rental Deposit Authority with your consent. You can tell Housing Connect the housing providers and real estate agents you want to see and use your personal information.
How is my personal information stored?
Your personal information is kept on your Housing Connect client record, which is stored on the Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP). Your information is collected, managed and stored in accordance with privacy laws.
SHIP is a secure, online client management system. Your information is only accessed by authorised Housing Connect service providers. All activity in SHIP is logged, monitored and audited by Housing Connect services to ensure only workers directly involved in assisting you access your file.
When you contact Housing Connect a single client record is created. This helps Housing Connect coordinate the help you get and means you do not have to repeat your details when you access other Housing Connect services.
Your Housing Connect client record includes all personal information you provide to Housing Connect.
Sharing your information outside Housing Connect
With your consent, and for a specific purpose, Housing Connect services may share relevant information with services outside of the Housing Connect system. This includes sharing:
- information with housing providers, when you apply for housing,
- information with real estate agents and the Rental Deposit Authority, when you apply for private rental assistance
- information with specialist services, when you are referred for assistance
- non-identifying information about your circumstances, with the Australian Government, when you receive a funded service.
Housing Connect may also share information with the Tasmanian Government, in order to investigate an enquiry or complaint made by you (or on your behalf, with your consent).
When consent is not required
There are certain circumstances where your personal information will be shared without your consent. This will occur if:
- your worker makes an assessment that you are likely to harm yourself or others
- you disclose serious criminal activity or family violence
- children in your care are at risk of harm
- we are required to by legislation
- your file has been subpoenaed by law.
Information from other services
Housing Connect may also ask for your consent to get information from other services.
This includes information from Centrelink about your payments, income and care arrangements of any children you have. We use this information in order to determine your eligibility when you apply for housing assistance.
Providing, changing or withdrawing your consent
Housing Connect will ask you to provide consent by completing a consent form.
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time, in writing or by completing a new consent form.
What are my rights?
The Tasmanian Homelessness Charter Guide states the core values and rights you have. You have the right to:
- be treated with dignity and respect
- be treated fairly
- information you need to make your own choices
- be treated without discrimination
- a reasonable standard of health and wellbeing and freedom from violence and threats
- privacy and confidentiality required by privacy and personal information laws.