Privacy Impact Assessment on the National Housing Council

Title

Privacy Impact Assessment on the National Housing Council

Description

The National Housing Council (NHC) is an advisory body to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities that promotes participation and inclusion in the development of Canada's housing policy. The NHC provides advice to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities on urgent housing issues including how to improve the National Housing Strategy.

The work of the NHC involves engaging with communities to promote inclusion in the development of housing policy, furthering the housing policy of the Government of Canada, offering advice on the effectiveness of the National Housing Strategy to the Minister, and supporting the right to adequate housing (recognizing that housing is a human right).

NHC members include Ex Officio members (individuals who automatically serve on the NHC by virtue of holding another position) as well as other members appointed by the Minister. The appointed members are renumerated for their work and are reimbursed for any expenses they may incur in the execution of their mandate. The NHC must meet four times each year (in person or virtually).

Review panels are also part of the core mandate of the National Housing Council legislated under the National Housing Strategy Act. Review panels include hearings to provide the public an opportunity to participate and review a systemic housing issue as referred by the Federal Housing Advocate and prepare a report for the Minister with the panel's opinion and recommendations.

The NHC aims to foster transparency by informing the public of their work. As such, members of the public can subscribe to the NHC's email distribution list, through the NHC website to receive updates on NHC activities, including review panels.

The NHC also conducts public outreach activities designed to collect the opinions and views of Canadians on systemic housing issues (for example, review panel hearings and public engagement sessions). Public engagement sessions may request that participants, mostly experts and organizations, provide oral or written submissions or participate in these sessions. In some instances, participants may share their lived experience of the issue to help inform the panel about the systemic nature of the issue.

Why a privacy impact assessment was completed

A privacy impact assessment was conducted to develop an informed assessment of the privacy risks associated with the personal information collected and used by the National Housing Council Secretariat and to inform recommendations to mitigate any identified privacy risks to an acceptable level.

Additional information

The following risks have been identified and mitigated: limiting the collection, direct collection, notification and consent, use and disclosure of personal information, retention and disposal of personal information, notification of the purpose of collection, accuracy of personal information, safeguards, technology and privacy, openness and individual access to personal information.

Related personal information banks

The personal information banks that apply to this initiative are Outreach Activities and Members of the National Housing Council.

For more information about this privacy impact assessment, please contact:

Melanie Davis
Director, ATIP and Executive Correspondence
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
180 Kent Street, 11^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 0B6
Telephone: 343-550-1166
privacy-vieprivee@infc.gc.ca