New York City Commission on Human Rights

2002 Annual Report
Community Relations Bureau

In addition to enforcing the Human Rights Law, the Commission is also mandated to encourage understanding and respect among New York City's many communities. To address this mission, the Community Relations Bureau (CRB) provides services through the borough-based Community Service Centers.

The various services of the Community Relations Bureau’s field operation compose its Neighborhood Human Rights Program. The NHRP works on a local level with block, tenant, religious, educational, merchant and community groups to improve and stabilize communities and connect them to the Commission's law enforcement functions.

To increase the community services offered, the Commission's field operation has undergone a major restructuring. This includes the consolidation of seven borough field offices. Previously, the Commission had two offices in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, one office in Manhattan and no office in Staten Island. Formerly, each of the field offices concentrated its activities in very few neighborhoods, usually those near their respective office locations -- leaving wide areas of the boroughs unserviced. One dedicated team of Human Rights Specialists now staff each office location with borough-wide responsibility.

Maintaining fewer offices has dramatically increased efficiency and has improved the Commission's representation in each borough. The merging of these offices will save the Commission over $50,000 per year providing funds to open an office in Staten Island.

In addition to consolidating the field offices, this restructuring has included: the implementation of redesigned and new programs; the training of staff for the new programs; the publication of new informational materials translated into numerous languages; and orienting each staff member toward managing specific neighborhoods throughout the entire borough in addition to their program responsibilities.

Immigrant Employment Rights Education
The Community Relations Bureau joined with the New York Immigration Coalition in a new initiative to inform immigrants about their employment rights under Federal and City laws. The United States Department of Justice awarded CCHR a $70,000 grant to fund this program. The Commission's Immigrant Employment Rights Project is reaching diverse immigrant communities of New York. The informal discussions, literature and power point presentations are aimed at educating immigrant workers, employers, employee associations and business associations on discrimination in employment based on national origin, citizenship status or alienage. Sixteen members of CRB have been trained to conduct workshops throughout the City. The program began at the end of the year with two workshops in Staten Island for Mexican-American immigrants. In 2003, this program will spread to all the boroughs and will be presented in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.

Mortgage and Pre-Purchase Counseling Program
The Mortgage and Pre-Purchase Counseling Program helps reduce predatory lending practices and the discrimination associated with them by conducting seminars and individual counseling sessions to educate residents about these illegal practices. These lending practices include excessively high fees and commissions,
misrepresentation of the mortgage's terms and conditions, high interest rates, repeated financing of loans, balloon payments and the financing of high-cost credit insurance. In 2002, the program expanded from one member of CRB to twelve staff members who have been trained to educate residents about these predatory lending practices and assist them in keeping their homes. During 2002, the program assisted over 1,000 homeowners and potential homeowners, primarily in southeast Queens.

Equal Access Program
In conjunction with LEB, CRB staff conducts investigations and provides pre-complaint intervention when individuals experience accessibility problems in housing or public accommodations.

HIV Prison Project
CRB administers the HIV Prison Project, an anti-discrimination program for HIV-positive prisoners, former prisoners and their families. The primary focus of the program is to ensure that HIV-positive prisoners receive the medication and other services they need. A Spanish/English hotline, crisis intervention, referrals and short-term counseling are available. Funded by the Ryan White C.A.R.E. Act and now in its 12th year, the HIV Prison Project initiated a postcard campaign to educate and direct those in need of the Commission's services. In 2002, this program assisted 514 individuals and conducted 93 workshops.

Research: Discrimination Survey of Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians
The Commission has teamed with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Arab-American Family Support Center, Chhaya CDC, Coney Island Avenue Project, Council of Pakistan Organization, South Asian Council for Social Services and South Asian Youth Action to conduct a survey of unreported discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and bias-related harassment. The surveys also educate the public on protections in the Human Rights Law. CRB received a $7,500 grant from New York Community Trust to document post-9/11 discrimination against Arabs, Muslims and South Asians. The surveys are printed in English, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi, and have been widely distributed throughout the City. A report detailing and analyzing the results will be available in the spring of 2003.

CRB Staff
The Community Relations Bureau consists of 40 Human Rights Specialists assigned to the Commission's Community Service Centers, Program staff, and the HIV Prison Project. In addition, CRB has eight support staff members.