§ 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.