Before using the Homeless Hub please read our Privacy Policy carefully.

This Privacy Policy is applicable to www.homelesshub.ca and sets out our policy on the gathering and use of information on this. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) is committed to providing a safe website for visitors of all ages and has implemented this Privacy Policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy. The COH complies with Canadian Federal and Provincial privacy laws and regulations including the Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act. The Homeless Hub provides links from our site to other websites; note that this Privacy Policy applies only to www.homelesshub.ca and not to websites of other companies or organizations to which our site may be linked. You must check on any linked sites for the privacy policy that applies to that site and/or make any necessary inquiries in respect of that privacy policy with the operator of the linked site. These links to third party websites are provided as a convenience and are for informational purposes only. The COH does not endorse, and is not responsible for, these linked websites. Although you are not required to register to access our site, you may be asked to provide us with personal information when you complete a survey or subscribe to our newsletter. Your use of our site signifies your acknowledgement and consent to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not continue to use our site. Your continued use of the site signifies your acceptance of these terms and any changes in effect at the time of use.

Collection of Personal Information 

Personal Information is information about you that identifies you as an individual, such as your name, address, e-mail address or telephone number. We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us through responses to surveys, questionnaires, feedback, newsletter subscription and the like. We may also ask you to provide additional information such as your e-mail address if you want to obtain additional services, information, participate in a contest or to resolve complaints or concerns.

How does the COH use the information gathered about online visitors?

Before forwarding us any personal information, please be advised that any information gathered on our site may be used for research and development relating to our site and/or for future site development. In particular, we may use information gathered about you for the following purposes: to monitor interest in our range of research publications and to assist us to tailor the content of our sites to your needs by collecting information about your preferences through tracking of patterns in page views on our site; to create a profile relating to you in order to show you the content that might be of interest to you and to display the content according to your preferences; and, in circumstances where you have indicated that you wish to receive additional information, to send you information about us and promotional material about upcoming events or publications. From time to time, we may ask you to indicate whether you are interested in receiving emails and other information. If you elect to receive these communications, we will occasionally send you e-mails or other information that match your requests. If at any time you wish to stop receiving these email communications from us, please contact us at thehub@edu.yorku.ca.

Promotional and Informational Offers 

With the permission of an online visitor, information submitted at the time of registration or submission may be used for marketing and research purposes by the COH provided notice of this fact is made available online. If a visitor objects to such use for any reason, they may prevent that use, either by e-mail request or by modifying the registration information provided. The COH uses every reasonable effort to maintain visitors' information in a secure environment. If you have submitted personal information and want to see what data we have about you, change it or opt-out, please contact us at thehub@edu.yorku.ca.

Disclosure of Information 

The COH will not disclose personal information that you provide to any third parties except: i) in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy, or ii) to comply with legal requirements such as a law, regulation, warrant, subpoena or court order.

Cookies

The COH, in common with many website operators, may use standard technology called "cookies" on our site. Cookies are small data files that are downloaded onto your computer when you visit a particular website. You can disable cookies by turning them off in your browser; however, some areas of the sites may not function properly if you do so.

Additional Terms 

The following additional terms applies to our site because it asks for registration. Generally, you are not required to provide personal information as a condition of using our site, except as may be necessary to provide you with a product or service that you have requested.

Protection of Information

Our Commitment to Security We have put in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online. The COH applies security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, such as retaining information in secure facilities and making personal information accessible only to authorized employees on a need-to-know basis. Storage of Information Personal information you share with us is stored on our database servers with Amazon Web Services Canada data centres in Montreal, QC, Canada. The data is stored and secured in accordance with all the applicable Canadian laws.

Surveys and Contests

From time-to-time we request information via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and you may choose whether or not to participate and therefore disclose this information. Information requested may include contact information (such as your name and the name of your organization), and demographic information (such as location, age group). The given information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.

Policy Change

Any changes to our Privacy Policy will be posted on this page so that you are always informed of the information we collect about you, how we use it and the circumstances under which we may disclose it.

Acceptance of Privacy Policy

By using the Homeless Hub, you signify your acceptance of our Privacy Policy, and you adhere to the terms and conditions posted on the site. By submitting your information, you agree that it will be governed by our Privacy Policy. If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via thehub[at]edu.yorku.ca