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About Us


Established in 1951 under the City Charter, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR) is the City agency that enforces civil rights laws and deals with all matters of inter-group conflict within the city.

The Compliance Division enforces the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance. Discrimination is prohibited in employment, housing, public accommodations and the delivery of City services.

 

In employment, it is illegal to discriminate on the bases of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age over 40, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, gender identity, or retaliation.

 

In housing, the bases are race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, any age, physical disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, the presence of children or an individual's source of income. 

In public accommodations and the delivery of City services, the bases are the same as employment except age is not covered in public accommodations. 

Individuals can also file retaliation complaints in employment and housing cases if they feel they have been retaliated against for either complaining about discriminatory practices or for having filed a discrimination complaint.

 

The Community Relations Division deals with all matters of inter-group conflict within the city. Building coalitions and forming alliances to help empower individuals and groups to work together in solving common problem the main roles of the Community Relations Division.


The Dispute Resolution Program provides mediation, conciliation, counseling, and referral services to neighbors and others who have ongoing conflicts that have not escalated to a violent level.  In addition, the Community Relations Division provides education on diversity and inter-group relations in every neighborhood of the city.


The PCHR is also responsible for receiving and reviewing applications from same-sex couples who wish to register their relationship.  The couples if they choose, can receive an optional Certificate of Life Partnership.

In addition, the PCHR provides staff for the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission (PFHC). The PFHC enforces the Philadelphia Fair Housing Ordinance that addresses unfair rental practices in the city.

A tenant may file a complaint with the PFHC:
1) If he or she is being threatened with illegal eviction. Rent must be current.
2) If a landlord is raising rent in the face of housing code violations.
3) If another term of a lease is being violated.
4) To stop a landlord from retaliating against a tenant for reporting housing code violations to the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) or in retaliation for filing a complaint with the PFHC.