Privacy Policy

Overview

Victoria Park Community Homes ("VPCH", "we", "us", "our") is a non-profit housing provider operating in Ontario, Canada. We are committed to protecting the privacy of people who visit vpch.com, contact us, use online forms, apply for housing or employment, make maintenance or service requests, or otherwise interact with us through our website.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through our website, how we use it, when we disclose it, how we protect it, and how you can contact us about your privacy rights.

This policy is intended to support compliance with applicable Canadian and Ontario privacy requirements, including PIPEDA and, where applicable, MFIPPA and CASL.

This policy is for website and online interactions. Tenant files, rent records, subsidy records, housing application files, and other operational housing records may also be governed by tenancy agreements, housing program requirements, funding agreements, the Residential Tenancies Act, municipal or service-manager requirements, and VPCH's internal records and privacy practices.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

Depending on how you use the website, we may collect name, email address, phone number, mailing address, preferred contact method, form submissions, applicant, tenant, household, unit-related, employment, newsletter, communication-preference, and message information you choose or are required to submit.

When you visit the website, we may automatically collect limited technical information such as IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, visit time, referring page, general usage information, approximate location derived from technical information, and cookie and consent preferences.

We may receive limited technical, authentication, delivery, or analytics information from systems we use to operate the website and communicate with you, such as website hosting, Microsoft 365, form tools, email delivery services, security tools, analytics tools, resident or service portals, or employment platforms.

We do not knowingly collect payment card information through the public website. If online payments are offered, they should be processed through a separate secure third-party payment provider.

2. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information for purposes that are identified at or before the time of collection, or for purposes that are reasonably related to those purposes.

• To respond to questions, complaints, feedback, and requests.
• To process housing, resident, maintenance, service, employment, or other online submissions.
• To administer housing programs, tenancy-related processes, resident services, and community programs.
• To communicate with applicants, tenants, residents, vendors, job applicants, community members, and website users.
• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the website and related systems.
• To investigate technical issues, security incidents, misuse, fraud, or unauthorized access.
• To send newsletters, program announcements, or other commercial electronic messages only where permitted by CASL.
• To meet legal, regulatory, contractual, insurance, audit, funding, reporting, and records-management obligations.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Consent

We collect, use, and disclose personal information with your consent, except where the law permits or requires otherwise. Consent may be express, such as when you submit a form, sign up for a newsletter, apply for housing or employment, or contact us directly. Consent may also be implied where the purpose is obvious and reasonable in the circumstances.

You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal, contractual, tenancy, housing program, funding, reporting, or records-retention requirements. Withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide certain services, process a request, communicate with you, or administer a tenancy or application.

4. Website Forms and Collection Notices

Some pages or forms may include a short collection notice explaining why information is being collected and who to contact with questions. Where a collection notice appears on a form, that notice should be read together with this Privacy Policy.

If you submit information on behalf of another person, you are responsible for ensuring that you have authority to do so and that the information is accurate.

5. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies, local storage, analytics tools, embedded content, or similar technologies. Cookies are small files or identifiers stored on your browser or device. They help websites function, remember preferences, improve security, and understand how visitors use the site.

Strictly necessary cookies are required for website operation, security, form protection, session management, and cookie preference storage. These cannot be disabled through our banner.

Preference cookies remember choices such as language or display preferences. Analytics cookies help us understand website usage and improve the site. Analytics only load after you consent.

On your first visit, you may be asked to accept, reject, or customize non-essential cookies. You may change your preferences later through the Cookie Preferences link in the website footer.

Third-party content, such as maps, videos, social media widgets, employment listings, or embedded forms, may set cookies or collect information when you interact with it. Those third parties are responsible for their own privacy and cookie practices.

6. CASL and Electronic Communications

VPCH may send operational, transactional, tenant, resident, service, maintenance, application, or legally required messages where permitted by law.

If VPCH sends newsletters, program announcements, or other commercial electronic messages, we will comply with CASL by obtaining consent where required, identifying VPCH as the sender, providing contact information, and including a working unsubscribe mechanism. You may still receive operational or legally required messages after unsubscribing from newsletters or public communications.

7. Disclosure of Personal Information

We disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary and permitted or required by law, including to service providers, government bodies, service managers, funders, auditors, regulators, insurers, professional advisers, law enforcement, courts, tribunals, contractors, property managers, maintenance providers, agents, or another organization with your consent or at your direction.

Service providers are expected to protect personal information and use it only for the services they provide to VPCH. Some service providers may store or process information outside Canada. If information is stored or processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction.

8. Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required for legal, tenancy, housing program, operational, audit, insurance, funding, reporting, or records-management purposes.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of record. Website analytics may be retained in aggregate or pseudonymized form, contact-form records may be retained long enough to respond and keep appropriate business records, and housing or tenant records may be retained according to VPCH's records-retention schedule and applicable legal or program requirements.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These may include access controls, encryption in transit, secure hosting, multi-factor authentication, staff training, logging, backups, and vendor-management controls.

No website, email system, or online transmission is completely secure. Please avoid sending highly sensitive information through general contact forms or email unless the form or channel is specifically designed for that purpose.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to personal information VPCH holds about you, ask for corrections, withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, or ask a question or make a complaint about our privacy practices.

We may need to verify your identity before responding. Access or correction may be limited where the law permits or requires.

11. Privacy Contact

Questions, access requests, correction requests, withdrawals of consent, and privacy complaints may be directed to:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or, where applicable, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

12. Children's Privacy

Our public website is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the public website without appropriate consent. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through the website, please contact us.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date at the top shows when this version took effect. Material changes may be posted on the website or communicated directly where appropriate.