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Privacy Notice

SECTION A. Introduction

Thank you for visiting the Washington State Housing Finance Commission ("Commission") website and reviewing our Privacy Notice. This statement addresses collection, use and security of, and access to information that we may obtain through use of the Commission website.

SECTION B. Information Collected and How It Is Used

Information collected if you only browse this site:
If you do nothing during your visit to our website but browse, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

The Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name used;

The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the IP address to direct Internet traffic to you. This address can be translated to determine the domain name of your service provider (e.g. xcompany.com or yourschool.edu);

The type of browser and operating system you used;

The date and time you visited this website;

The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and

The website you visited prior to coming to this website.

The information we automatically collect or store is logged and used only to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. The Commission analyzes the website logs to determine how our website is being used, so that we may continually improve the site's usefulness to the public.

What we collect if you volunteer information:

If during your visit to our website you participate in a survey, send an email, or perform some other transaction online, the following additional information will be collected:

The email address, and contents of email, for those who communicate with us via email; information volunteered in response to a survey; and information volunteered through an online form for any other purpose. The information collected may include text, audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us.

We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you may identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the email for appropriate action. Survey information and information from other online forms is used by the Commission to improve the quality of our services or for any additional purposes identified when we present a survey or otherwise request information from you.

Our use of Search, Analytics, Translate, and Other Tools:

The Commission also uses third-party services and tools in connection with our website and social media sites. These currently include the following:

Piwik Analytics

Bitly Analytics

Google Search

Google Analytics

Google Translate

These services and tools may collect and use information to help us improve our website and for other purposes. Their privacy policies and related terms can be reviewed by using the following links:

Piwik: http://piwik.org/privacy/

Bitly: https://bitly.com/pages/privacy

Google: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/

Our use of social media:

The Commission uses several third party social media services to civically and socially engage citizens and to guide them to enriched content posted on our official agency website, wshfc.org. These third party services include, but are not limited to, Facebook and Twitter. Some social media services may require registration to gain access.

Social media services are created and maintained by third parties who collect and use the personal information you decide to share. This information is stored on computer servers which are not controlled by our agency. Third party providers of social media services determine their own policies for storing and deleting information collected by them.

If you choose to use a social media service to look at Commission content or to post a comment in connection with our content, please review the policies of the social media service. The Commission does not endorse external services or the information, products or services available on them.

We have limited ability to add or delete content posted on social media services in connection with our content. Information you post on them may be made available to the general public. The Commission may seek to remove postings from its social media pages that it deems to be obscenity or profanity; hate, harassing, discriminatory or commercial speech; libel; intellectual property infringement; political endorsements; or advocacy regarding any candidate or ballot proposition. We do not conduct “official Commission business” on third-party social media services. “Official Commission business,” such as posting statutes, regulations, contracts, news releases, forms, and employment opportunities. The Commission will post any such information on its official agency web site at wshfc.org and may also publish it via social media accounts and other channels.

Cookies

This website makes limited use of "cookies" to better serve visitors to the site. Cookies are simple text files stored on your computer by your web browser. They provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to the Commission’s website. Cookies created on your computer by using this website do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer. You can refuse the cookie or delete the cookie file from your computer by using any of the widely available methods.

SECTION C. Personal Information and Choice

You may choose whether to provide personal information online. "Personal information" is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us by sending us email, participating in a survey, or completing an online form. You may choose not to contact us by email, participate in a survey or to provide any personal information using an online form. Your choice to not participate in these activities will not impair your ability to browse the Commission website and read or download any information provided on the site. If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.

If you believe that your personal/private information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact the Communications Manager as shown in the Contact Information Section of this statement.

The Commission website is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children online or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

SECTION D. Public Access to Information

In the State of Washington, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs including the privacy of individuals. Exceptions are provided by both state and federal laws.

All of the information collected at this site becomes public records that may be subject to inspection and copying by members of the public, unless an exemption in law exists. RCW 42.56.070 states that:

Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of *subsection (6) of this section, this chapter, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records. To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by this chapter, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with this chapter when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Public Records Act or other law governing the agency’s disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control.

SECTION E. Nondisclosure of Certain Personal/Private Information

Generally, all the Commission's files are available for public inspection, unless exempt from disclosure under the provisions of state and federal laws. Examples of information that is not available for public inspection include: Personal information maintained on borrowers or applicants for Commission programs; lists of individuals to be used for commercial purposes; personal information maintained on employees, appointees, or elected officials.

SECTION F. Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information

You can review any personally identifiable information we collect about you by using the information in the Contact Information section at the end of this Notice. You may recommend changes to your personally identifiable information you believe to be inaccurate by submitting a written request that credibly shows the inaccuracy. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. (RCW 43.105.310)

SECTION G. Security

The Washington State Consolidated Technology Services (CTS), as host of the Commission website, and the Commission have taken and are continuing to take steps to safeguard its data and prevent unauthorized access to information collected on the website and maintained by the Commission. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information, and to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession.

This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided via the Commission website.

SECTION H. Disclaimer

The Commission’s website has many links to other websites. These include links to websites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Commission website and this Privacy Notice will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

Neither the State of Washington, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of Washington warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at their own risk.

SECTION I. Copyright

The Commission website may contain text, artwork, photos or other content that is copyrighted by others and is being used with the express permission of the copyright holder. Contact our Communications Manager for permission to use information contained on this site.

SECTION J. Housing Finance Commission Contact Information

To review your personal information, request correction of your personal information, or if you have questions about information presented in this Privacy Notice, please contact us:
Washington State Housing Finance Commission
1000 Second Avenue, Suite 2700, Seattle, Washington 98104
Phone: 206-464-7139 or 800-767-4663 | Fax: 206.587.5113 | askus@wshfc.org