§ 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.