Human Rights New York State Division Of

The New York State Division of Human Rights is a state government entity that serves as a child organization of the State of New York. The Division provides critical civil rights enforcement and fair housing services to support federal anti-discrimination initiatives at the state and local levels. Through its federal contract and grant awards, the Division demonstrates its role in implementing and enforcing fair employment practices and fair housing protections across New York State.

The Division has received federal contract awards from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to support its fair employment and fair housing initiatives. The primary contract is a firm fixed price definitive contract valued at $6,590,500 for Fair Employment Practices Agency (FEPA) services, with a performance period running from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025. This substantial contract demonstrates the Division's capacity to deliver state-level implementation of federal employment discrimination enforcement mechanisms. Additionally, the Division received a smaller purchase order valued at $5,000 from the EEOC for an EEOC Partnership initiative, awarded on August 23, 2021. Neither contract award utilized a set-aside designation, indicating they were awarded on a competitive, unrestricted basis. These contracts establish the Division's role as a primary implementer of federal fair employment practices at the state level.

The Division has been a consistent recipient of federal grant awards under the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Most recently, the Division received a Formula Grant valued at $680,841.15 awarded on October 1, 2025, for Complaint Processing funds to support fair housing investigations and enforcement activities. The Division has maintained continuous participation in the FHAP program, receiving consecutive Cooperative Agreements from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024, and an additional Cooperative Agreement from September 16, 2021 through July 31, 2022. These grants fund the Division's activities in investigating housing discrimination complaints, providing training and technical assistance, conducting education and outreach, and supporting administrative operations related to fair housing enforcement. The funding structure is performance-based, with compensation tied to the number of complaints acceptably processed during designated 12-month periods, ensuring the Division's resources align with its enforcement productivity and enabling it to strengthen its capacity to address discriminatory housing practices based on protected characteristics including race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin.