About PghCHR

   [Swahili] Kuhusu PghCHR      [Chinese] 关于PghCHR      [Spanish] Acerca de PghCHR      [Russian] О PghCHR      [Arabic] PghCHR عن

What is the PghCHR's Mission Statement?

The PghCHR is a civil rights organization focused on investigating instances of discrimination, providing outreach and education to communities about their rights, and recommending necessary protections in our City Code to provide all people in Pittsburgh with equal opportunities. Our goal is to decrease unfair treatment and discrimination by promoting justice and understanding among communities in the City of Pittsburgh. 

How do I rquest an interpreter, translated materials, or disability-related, religious, or other accommodation to access PghCHR and its Services?

To request an interpreter, translated materials, or disability-related, religious, or other accommodation in order to access the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations (“PghCHR”) and its services, please contact us by phone at 412-426-5449 or 412-255-2600 or by email at human.relations@pittsburghpa.gov. PDF Version Available Here (388kb)

Where does the PghCHR gets its authority?

The PghCHR is an independent Commission that enforces and ensures civil rights protections within the City of Pittsburgh. Sections 216 through 218 of Pittsburgh’s Home Rule Charter established the PghCHR,  and Title 6, Article V, Chapters 651 through 659, of the Pittsburgh City Code further detail and outline the PghCHR’s authority, as well as civil and human rights protections within the City. Additionally, per contracts with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEOC), the PghCHR enforces federal anti-discrimination law in housing and employment.

The Commission consists of 15 volunteer Commissioners who are appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council. The Commissioners serve four-year terms.

Who works for the PghCHR?

The Commission employs an Executive Director and staff to carry out its mission and functions. They are:

Jam Hammond, Executive Director

Rachel Shepherd, Deputy Director 

Rita Porterfield, Investigator

Shaneise Murray, Investigator

Kevin Carroll, Administrative Assistant

Ifeoluwa Orebiyi, Social Work Intern

Callie Angelo, AmeriCorps VISTA

What are the Civil and Human Rights protected by the City Code?

Per Chapter 659 of the of the Pittsburgh City Code, it is unlawful to discriminate in the following areas on the outlined bases:

What are the Powers and Duties of the PghCHR?

The PghCHR investigates complaints of alleged discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and the provision of City services within the City of Pittsburgh.  The PghCHR can initiate its own complaints against persons and entities who appear to have committed civil and human rights violations within the City. The PghCHR also investigates any conditions having an adverse effect on intergroup relations within the city. For over 65 years, the PghCHR has successfully resolved issues of unfair and discriminatory practices in Pittsburgh.

In addition to reviewing the findings and recommendations of staff, the PghCHR may:

• Hold confidential mediation/conciliation meetings;
• Approve and enter into mediation/conciliation agreements;
• Hold private factfinding meetings;
• Require the production of evidence and, if necessary, subpoena evidence;
• Interview witnesses and, if necessary, subpoena witnesses and compel their attendance; and
• Hold public hearings that can result in:
  • Findings of fact;
  • Lawfully enforceable orders; and
  • Publication of findings of fact and orders.

When probable cause is found that someone has been unlawfully discriminated against, the Commission will schedule a mandatory meeting (also referred to as a mediation, conciliation, or private meeting) with the parties to try to get the parties to reach an agreed upon resolution. If that meeting is unsuccessful, then the Commission will schedule the case for a public hearing.

If the evidence (or lack of evidence) does not support a finding of probable cause, the case will be closed.  Under the Pittsburgh City Code, Chapter 655.04, and Rule 13 of the Commission's Rules and Regulations, either party may request reconsideration of the Commission's determination.  To do so, a party must notify the Commission in writing within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the letter notifying the party that the case has been closed.

How is the PghCHR structured?

The PghCHR is divided into two sections: the Compliance Review Section (CRS) and the Public Hearing Section (PHS). Commissioners are appointed to sections by the PghCHR Chairperson, and no Commissioner may serve concurrently in both Sections.

• The CRS reviews case determinations and recommendations by PghCHR staff regarding probable cause, lack of probable cause, and approval of conciliation agreements. By majority vote, the CRS will approve or disapprove of determinations and recommendations.
• After a determination of probable cause, if the parties cannot reach an agreement, the PHS conducts public hearings and renders the Commission’s final decisions regarding cases.

What else does the PghCHR do?

 The further its mission and commitment to equity and equality, the PghCHR does, among other things, the following:

• Conduct community education, training, and other outreach programs for schools, community groups, businesses, professional organizations, and City departments in order to promote fairness, equity, and equal rights and opportunities for all who work in, live in, or visit our city. 
• Conduct and contract for studies and reports regarding discrimination related issues within the City.
• Share information with the public regarding resources provided by other organizations and entities.
• Draft and propose amendments to the Pittsburgh City Code.
• Draft and submit comments on proposed changes, creation, or elimination of federal rules and regulations.
• Issue press releases on issues relating to civil and human rights.
• Foster collaboration between and among other organizations and entities.

Rules and Regulations

Click here to view PghCHR's Rules and Regulations (as amended in March of 2020)

Applicable Sections of the Pittsburgh City Code

There are many sections of the Pittsburgh City Code which pertain specifically to Fair Practice.  To read those and other sections of the City Code, please go online the City of of Pittsburgh's Municipal Code.

PghCHR Goals: 2021

Goal: Create a meaningful engagement series with area youth on civil and human rights.

Strategies to Achieve Goal

• Work with community leaders and commissioners to create a youth engagement strategy.
• Begin a quarterly human and civil rights youth contest based in art, writing, video, and other media to create discussion around the influence of civil rights on Pittsburgh.
• Collaborate with the Allegheny County Human Relations Commission to broaden efforts to reach youth.
• Provide youth-based resources and education around civil and human rights.

How Success Will Be Measured

• Meet with at least four (4) community leaders and/or commissioners to form a strategy for youth engagement.
• Hold a quarterly contest to represent diverse viewpoints of youth in Pittsburgh, while also providing historical context and education about the Commission’s mission.
• Provide at least two (2) educational events on human rights geared toward youth and/or parents.

Goal: Increase availability of multi-lingual services and materials in order to be a Welcoming Agency, while
providing relevant anti-discrimination education to immigrant and international populations.

Strategies to Achieve Goal

• Utilize information and recommendations from the City’s language access plan to better serve Limited English Proficiency (LEP) members of the community.
• Implement a system for video remote interpreting within the department.
• Ensure that in-person interpretation is utilized for complaints and intakes, whenever possible.
• Participate as a member of the All for All Coalition and the Welcoming Pittsburgh Advisory Council.
• Create a series of Know Your Rights workshops for immigrant and refugee communities to utilize for housing and public accommodations.

How Success Will Be Measured

• All vital documents for the Commission will be translated into at least the top five (5) languages by the end of 2021, including our main outreach materials/brochures.
• All conciliation agreements or documents requiring signature for LEP complainants or respondents will be translated into the preferred language within one week of request.
• The Commission will have Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) capabilities by the end of 2021.
• A workshop curriculum will be created by Commission staff and/or fellows by mid-2021, and will be utilized by at least three (3) community leaders by the end of 2021.

Goal: Implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by utilizing data from the CMU CREATE Lab data
mapping project.

Strategies to Achieve Goal

• Work with CMU CREATE Lab to visualize issues of equity in the City of Pittsburgh and identify areas of the City with the greatest disparities.
• Support a community engagement strategy for the City around SDG education and feedback.
• Utilize the mapping tools and narratives with community organizations to help them understand and proactively address inequities in their communities.
• Understand how data visualization capabilities can increase enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and Pittsburgh City Code as well as investments made by the City.

How Success Will Be Measured

• Data visualizations will be utilized in community meetings with at least two (2) community partners.
• An Earthtime data visualization story specific to SDGs will be created for use in City planning and budgeting, as well as for creation of the City’s SDG indicators and targets.
• At least two (2) SDGs community groups will be trained to use the Earthtime tool within their communities to work toward reducing inequities and furthering social justice.

Goal: Create and utilize a series of Fair Housing videos to inform the public about issues of housing discrimination.

Strategies to Achieve Goal

• Work with partners at Fair Housing Partnership (FHP) and CREATE Lab, as well as a vendor chosen by CHR staff, to produce a series of topical videos on fair housing issues.
• Use community perspectives (lived experience) and data visualizations to provide education around issues of systemic racism and discrimination in housing.
• Air the series of videos on social media platforms and City Channel to increase the viewer base that receives fair housing education and learns how to report fair housing complaints.

How Success Will Be Measured

• The videos will be fully produced and finally edited by June 2021 and will start airing immediately.
• Viewership across all platforms will exceed 500 viewers, targeted to City of Pittsburgh residents.
• Residents will better understand where they can report fair housing issues and how to identify discriminatory practices (as measured by an increase in inquiries and complaints related to video subject matter).