Website and Privacy Policies

Information Collection

1. 1 As a general rule, HUD Exchange does not collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about you when you visit our website, unless you choose to provide such information to us. Submitting PII through our website is voluntary. By doing so, you are giving HUD Exchange your permission to use the information for a specific, stated purpose. However, not providing certain information may result in the HUD’s inability to provide you with the service you desire. If you choose to provide us with PII on the HUD Exchange website, through such methods as completing a web form, we will use that information to help us provide you the information or service you have requested. The information we may receive from you varies based on what you do when visiting our site. We only share the PII you give us with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. The HUD Exchange never collects information for commercial marketing.
2. 2 When you browse, read pages or download information on our website, we automatically gather and store certain technical information about your visit. this information never identifies who you are. The information we collect and store about your visit comprises all of the following:
   • The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain) and IP address (the number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are using the Internet) from which you access our website
   • The type of browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome) and operating system (Windows, Unix) used to access our site
   • The date and time you access the website
   • The pages you visit
   • If you linked to the HUD Exchange from another website, the address of that website
      
3. 3 This information is only used to help us make the site more useful for you. With this data we learn about the number of visitors to your site and the types of technology our visitors use. We never track or record the information about individuals and their visits.

Site Security

1. 1 The HUD Exchange website uses session cookies and persistent cookies to enhance the user’s experience on the HUD Exchange website. In order to login into the secure area of the website a user must have cookies enabled. HUD Exchange uses cookies for authentication, storing of site preferences, and server session identification.
   
   Session cookies are temporary files, which are erased when you close your browser.
   
   Persistent cookies are files that stay in one of your browsers subfolders until you delete them manually or your browser deletes them based on an expiration date defined in the cookie.
    
2. 2 We monitor visits to the website to identify any attempt to tamper with it.
    
3. 3 Tampering with the HUD Exchange is against the law. Anyone who tries to tamper with it may be punished under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Links to Other Sites

1. 1 Our website contains links to many other websites. When you go to another site, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of that site. The HUD Exchange cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided there.
    
2. 2 Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement of the HUD Exchange, its sponsors or the products presented on it.

Linking to HUD Exchange

You are encouraged to link to the HUD Exchange. You are welcome to copy the following suggested language below for use when linking to the HUD Exchange.

The HUD Exchange is an online platform for providing program information, guidance, services and tools to HUD's community partners, including state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, Continuums of Care (CoCs), Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), tribes, and partners of these organizations.

Email

1. 1 When you send us email we will not share your email address with anyone outside of HUD staff, its contractors, and other federal representatives necessary to respond to your question. We will only use your email address to respond to your requests for information or send you information about Community Compass-related workshops, training sessions or available resources.
    
2. 2 If you sign up for one of our emailing lists, we will only send you the kind of information you've requested. We won't share your email address with anyone outside of HUD.

Terms and Conditions for Photo and Video Submission

• All images and videos submitted will be considered. Only those deemed acceptable and selected by HUD Exchange Staff will be approved and displayed on the site. Submission does not guarantee placement on the HUD Exchange.
• The HUD Exchange will not use photos that come without detailed information on who is in a photo, and where it is taken. Please include correctly spelled names, titles and specifics about the location. If any factual mistakes are made after a photo is posted, please send recommended changes to the same email address used to submit photos.
• Only HUD grantees and their affiliated partners may submit photos for use on the HUD Exchange.
• Photo and video submissions should display HUD-related images. These might include, but are not limited to, HUD-funded properties, before-and-after depictions, local HUD events hosted by the grantee or its partner(s) such as drawings or workshops, construction sites, and families and their homes developed using HUD funds.
• The HUD Exchange reserves the right to determine what constitutes inappropriate content.
• The HUD Exchange reserves the right to edit or manipulate submitted images and accompanying text to maximize clarity. Images that are not of sufficient photographic quality will be rejected.
• If the photograph is of a person or persons, the photographer affirms the person(s) photographed has (have) given their permission to be included in the photograph and for the photograph to be displayed on the HUD Exchange without any fee or other form of compensation.
• You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted.
• By your submission, you acknowledge that you are the creator and copyright holder of the photo.
• By your submission, you are providing permission for HUD and the HUD Exchange staff to use the image. These uses include, but are not limited to, on the HUD Exchange, www.hud.gov, the HUD Exchange Flickr gallery, and HUD Exchange YouTube channel.
• Each accepted image will be displayed and captioned with details provided for the image.