Housing Allowance Helper

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 24, 2026

Housing Allowance Helper is operated by Nicholas A. Winnard d/b/a Housing Allowance Helper (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This policy explains what we collect, why, who helps us process it, and the choices you have.

1. Information We Collect

  • Account and profile information: your name, email address, and, if you choose to provide them, your ministry title, church name, and home address.
  • Home and financial records you enter: housing allowance amounts, Fair Rental Value (FRV) details, home details (such as square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms), expenses, budgets, payment method nicknames (and the last four digits, if you enter them), and receipt images or PDFs you upload.
  • Device and usage information: IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, and app performance data, collected through Google Firebase.
  • Error reports and feedback: technical details when something goes wrong in the app, and any message you send us through “Report a problem.” We filter automatic error reports so that we remove email addresses, amounts, addresses, receipt contents, and similar details before they are sent. A message you write to us is sent as you typed it, so please leave out sensitive details.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To run the Service and show you your own records.
  • To generate the reports, estimates, and exports you request.
  • To provide optional AI-assisted features, such as receipt scanning and the in-app help assistant.
  • To send account emails (such as email verification and password resets) and, occasionally, product updates.
  • To keep the Service secure, prevent abuse, and fix problems.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.

3. Service Providers We Use

We share information only with the service providers that help us run Housing Allowance Helper, and only what each one needs to do its job:

  • Google Firebase (Google LLC): account sign-in, database, file storage for receipts, hosting, analytics, performance monitoring, and bot protection (reCAPTCHA / App Check).
  • Google Gemini API (Google LLC): when you use an AI feature, the content needed for that feature (for example, a receipt image, or a question you ask the help assistant) is sent to Google to produce the result. Google processes it under its API terms.
  • RentCast: when you look up your property or generate an FRV report, we send your property address and home details to RentCast to retrieve property records and local rental comparables.
  • Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.): error monitoring and the feedback you send through “Report a problem,” as described in Section 1.

If you choose to buy a paid plan, your payment will be handled by a third-party payment processor. We do not store your full card number.

We may also disclose information when required by law, or when necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or others.

The app may link to other websites (for example, a Zillow or Redfin search for your home). When you follow those links, the other site's privacy policy applies.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in Google Firebase in the United States. Firebase encrypts data in transit and at rest. Your records are protected by Firebase Authentication and security rules, so they can be read only by your signed-in account. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and limit who can reach it.

To protect against data loss, we keep automatic daily backups of our database for 60 days, and the database is protected against accidental deletion. Deleted or replaced receipt files can be recovered for 7 days.

5. Data Retention and Account Deletion

We keep your information for as long as your account is open. To delete your account, email support@housingallowancehelper.com from the address on your account. We will delete your account and the records, receipts, and reports stored with it within 30 days, and we will confirm by email. Copies in our backups are removed automatically as those backups expire: within 60 days for database records and within 7 days for receipt files.

We recommend exporting your data (see Section 7) before you delete your account, because we cannot recover your records after deletion.

6. Your Choices and Rights

Wherever you live, you can ask us to give you a copy of your personal information, correct it, or delete it. You can also unsubscribe from product-update emails at any time. To make a request, email support@housingallowancehelper.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Exporting Your Data

You can download a copy of your records at any time from the Settings page. The download is a ZIP file that contains CSV spreadsheets of your expenses, budgets, and payment methods, your raw data, and your uploaded receipts.

8. Children

The Service is intended for adults 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Data Breach Notification

If a security breach affects your personal information, we will notify you by email as soon as practicable and without unreasonable delay, as required by applicable law. The notice will describe what happened and the steps we are taking.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the new version here and change the “Last Updated” date. If we make significant changes, we will also notify you by email or in the app.

11. Contact

Questions or requests:

📧 support@housingallowancehelper.com