Human Rights

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It is our pleasure to provide you with insight into the city's efforts to address alleged discrimination issues facing our community. On our website, you will find a number of proven programs, activities, and practical applications that have worked to increase the awareness of Waterloo citizens. Many efforts have been made to recognize our emerging diversity as a positive community asset. Please feel free to call us with any suggestions, questions, or ideas that could help improve the quality of life for all Waterloo citizens.


Contact Information

Waterloo Human Rights Commission
620 Mulberry Street
Waterloo, IA 50703
Phone:(319) 291-4441
Fax: (319) 291-4295
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm


Support of LGBTQ+Iowas letter of Support.

WCHR Success Points
Success Points for Waterloo Commission on Human Rights (WCHR), Funchess’ Administration, 2010-present

  • As of August 2013, our application for direct relationship with EEOC had been approved!  This signature development will allow WCHR the opportunity to do more on behalf of our constituency, via increased staffing and more education outreach;
  • Thanks to internal process changes, logistical moves, additional team support, and renewed team spirit, we are now eliminating our Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) backlog; in fact, we have significantly reduced our backlog while maintaining high standards of care and justice for our complainants;
  • We had received additional HUD grant partnership funding $66,000 [FY2013], $120,000 [FY2014] , which allows for improved education outreach and staffing to affirmatively furthering fair housing education in Waterloo, in conjunction with Iowa Civil Rights Commission;
  • As of today (since 2010), we have recovered nearly two (2) million dollars in total economic relief for our complainants since this administration’s inception—this is more collected since the inception of this agency.  This increase is indicative of more robust communications between WCHR and community entities that are concerned about creating a culture of diversity inclusion in our city;
  • We continue to engage in meaningful education outreach discussions and activity, like participation in forums which focus on improved education delivery; criminal justice reform to improve the life chances of those with criminal record; as well as sexual and domestic violence reform. In fact, the Commission championed on February 10, 2014, the passing of Article B. Housing Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, of Chapter 3, Human Rights, Title 5, Police Regulations; 
  • We developed and implemented for the first time in WCHR history the Human Rights Training Academy.  It debuted July 2012 and was attended by 25 persons.  The Training Academy accents the positive developments occurring in the community while educating the participant about WCHR’s history, structure, staffing levels, budget, enforcement work, etc.  This work has now become a part of the city’s Resident Training Academy
  • In 2019-2020 we continue the initiative “Fifty Years Since King: Chaos or Community?”  We look forward to working with a host of community agencies and neighborhood coalitions to engage in a massive campaign to educate about a wide spectrum of human and civil rights issues which have relevance today
  • 2020 we hosted our our first virtual International Human Rights Day event.


Please visit the Do You Know Your Rights? website to learn more about your civil rights.



To Be Free At Last

A Human Rights Movement to end mass incarceration in the United States

We are asking all of community to join us in building a bold new movement to dismantle our nation's latest system of racial and social control and replace it with a broad-based commitment to basic human rights, compassion, and justice for all.

Join us, as we inspire a great awakening, bringing together and supporting all those who are committed to movement building, not just tinkering with the system as is. Join us, as we build a bold, courageous movement that will end not just mass incarceration, but forge a new moral consensus about how we, as a nation, ought to respond to poor people of color in the United States and embrace all of humanity.