Mission Statement

The Mission of the Office of Human Rights is to enforce the County's anti-discrimination laws in housing, commercial real estate, employment, public accommodations, and intimidation. The Office also provides training, public education programs, and promotes the increased understanding and tolerance among diverse groups.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY24 Operating Budget for the Office of Human Rights is $2,059,712, an increase of $423,806 or 25.91 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $1,635,906. Personnel Costs comprise 79.60 percent of the budget for 11 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 12.10 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 20.40 percent of the FY24 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• Thriving Youth and Families
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY23 estimates reflect funding based on the FY23 approved budget. The FY24 and FY25 figures are performance targets based on the FY24 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY25.

Initiatives

• Hosting the Annual Human Rights Agencies Training Conference in August 2023, in partnership with the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA).

• Continue implementation and outreach efforts of Ban-the-Box laws that prohibits employers and housing providers from asking applicants about criminal history on job or housing applications.

• Planning and coordination for the County's Juneteenth Celebration, the observance of November as the month of Remembrance and Reconciliation, and other activities focused on mitigating the incidents of hate violence in the County.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Planned and coordinated the first two-day Juneteenth event as the County celebrated its first official holiday observance with an estimated 4,000 people in attendance.

• Coordinated with the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission the observance of November as the month of Remembrance and Reconciliation in the County. Activities focus on the recognition of three men lynched in Montgomery County in the late 1800s: George Peck, John Diggs Dorsey, and Sidney Randolph.

• In accordance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) created a minority business training and development program in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission and a private bank. The ten-week intensive program has had 70 small businesses successfully complete the program.

• Held the second in a three-part series in partnership with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "A Virtual Employer Summit", focused on age discrimination and the multigenerational workplace, including corporate, academic, and federal enforcement officials as presenters.

Program Descriptions

  Compliance

This program investigates and resolves formal complaints of worker protection violations and discrimination in employment, housing, commercial and residential real estate transactions, public accommodations, and intimidations through a formal complaint process or mediation....

  Community Mediation and Public Affairs

This program supports and promotes the Human Rights Commission and Committee Against Hate Violence, Interagency Fair Housing Coordinating Group, and the Commission on Reconciliation and Remembrance in their outreach and education efforts; partners with other local, State, and Federal offices; and conducts various forums to promote increased understanding and tolerance...

  Fair Housing

This program monitors the County's Fair Housing Ordinance through the Interagency Fair Housing Work Group in order to coordinate the activity of County departments, offices, and agencies to prevent housing discrimination; and to perform testing of housing providers. The Office investigates and seeks to resolve housing discrimination complaints....

  Administration

This program provides overall direction of the Office, administration of the budget, personnel, procurement, automation, and support services. Also provided in this program is funding for human relations awards and programs....