159 - Disclosure of certain information prohibited.

§  159.    Disclosure  of certain information prohibited.  Information  acquired by an authority, the division of housing and community  renewal  or  a  municipality or by an officer or employee thereof from applicants  for dwellings in projects of  an  authority  or  municipality  or  other  housing  programs  administered  by a housing authority, municipality or  the division of housing  and  community  renewal,  or  from  tenants  of  dwellings thereof or from members of the family of any such applicant or  tenant  or  from  employers  of  such  persons or from any third person,  whether voluntarily or by compulsory examination  as  provided  in  this  chapter,  shall  be  for  the  exclusive  use  and  information  of  the  authority, division of housing and community renewal or municipality  in  the  discharge of its duties under this chapter and shall not be open to  the public nor be used in any court in any action or proceeding  pending  therein unless the authority, division of housing and community renewal,  municipality  or successor in interest thereof is a party or complaining  witness to such action or proceeding.   Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  the  authority  or  municipality  shall  furnish  to the commissioner of  housing and community renewal full and complete reports relating to  any  such  applicant  or  tenant  whenever  the  commissioner  of housing and  community renewal shall request such  reports.    Also,  nothing  herein  contained  shall  operate  to  prevent an authority or municipality from  making full and complete reports to  the  commissioner  of  housing  and  community  renewal or to the municipality in which an authority operates  or to the federal government or  any  agency  thereof  relating  to  the  administration of this chapter or of any project or relating to any such  applicant or tenant, nor to prohibit an authority or municipality or any  government  or  agency  receiving  such  information  of an authority or  municipality, from publishing statistics or  other  general  information  drawn from information received from such applicants or tenants.