N.Y. Public Housing Law § 159: Disclosure of certain information prohibited

§ 159. Disclosure of certain information prohibited. Information

acquired by an authority, the division of housing and community renewal

or a municipality or by an officer or employee thereof from applicants

for dwellings in projects of an authority or municipality or other

housing programs administered by a housing authority, municipality or

the division of housing and community renewal, or from tenants of

dwellings thereof or from members of the family of any such applicant or

tenant or from employers of such persons or from any third person,

whether voluntarily or by compulsory examination as provided in this

chapter, shall be for the exclusive use and information of the

authority, division of housing and community renewal or municipality in

the discharge of its duties under this chapter and shall not be open to

the public nor be used in any court in any action or proceeding pending

therein unless the authority, division of housing and community renewal,

municipality or successor in interest thereof is a party or complaining

witness to such action or proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing,

the authority or municipality shall furnish to the commissioner of

housing and community renewal full and complete reports relating to any

such applicant or tenant whenever the commissioner of housing and

community renewal shall request such reports. Also, nothing herein

contained shall operate to prevent an authority or municipality from

making full and complete reports to the commissioner of housing and

community renewal or to the municipality in which an authority operates

or to the federal government or any agency thereof relating to the

administration of this chapter or of any project or relating to any such

applicant or tenant, nor to prohibit an authority or municipality or any

government or agency receiving such information of an authority or

municipality, from publishing statistics or other general information

drawn from information received from such applicants or tenants.