Pittsburgh human-rights commission outlines enforcement caseload, housing protections and outreach at April meeting

The Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations on April 7 reviewed its current enforcement caseload, described ongoing efforts to add housing-status protections for people with a history of homelessness, and outlined outreach and training plans for landlords, students and community groups.

Executive Director Rachel Shepherd told commissioners the office had 36 open investigations as of the April 3 report and that the commission is handling matters across investigation, conciliation and public-hearing tracks. "We are the civil rights enforcement agency for the city of Pittsburgh. We are here to investigate instances of discrimination," Shepherd said during her director's report.

The commission emphasized outreach and training as a strategy to reduce unreported discrimination. Shepherd said the office conducted its first fair-housing-for-landlords training of the year and plans quarterly sessions targeted at landlords; the commission also plans additional outreach to universities and community groups. Shepherd said the commission will distribute a completed LGBTQIA+ housing research report to commissioners and begin public outreach on those findings.

Deputy Director Christopher Solt described draft legislation the commission is developing to bar denials of housing solely because an applicant has a past history of homelessness. "If you have a past history of homelessness, then you cannot be denied housing just on that basis alone," Solt said, adding that applicants would still need to meet usual eligibility criteria such as payment ability. Solt and other staff said persistent complaints about landlords asking for housing histories prompted the proposal.

Staff reported ongoing work to update the city code and the commission's rules and regulations; Shepherd said the code section covering civil-rights protections had not been updated since 1996 and that revisions to list current protected statuses were submitted to city council and are under review by the law department. Shepherd said the commission is coordinating with the city Manager of Neighborhood Services, Paul Scott, and has begun attending mayor's cabinet meetings to improve interagency information sharing.

Commission staff also addressed common complaint topics and guidance for residents. Senior investigator Rita Porterfield urged people to preserve basic documentation and said a short recap email or text after an incident is helpful for investigators: "I am a fan of the recap email and texting," Porterfield said. Staff reviewed the commission's authority to investigate complaints that occur within city limits, mediation and public-hearing processes, subpoena power, and the ability to monitor and enforce settlement agreements.

The commission discussed assistance and support animals in housing, citing U.S. Department of Justice and HUD guidance about differences between service animals and emotional-support animals. Shepherd and staff said there is no single central database for support-animal certifications and urged landlords and tenants to rely on reliable third-party verification where possible.

On other items, Shepherd noted the office has begun receiving more employment-case referrals from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and described a smaller compliance-review agenda this month with two settlements expected to be reported at the next meeting. Shepherd said staff totals were eight full-time employees and that volunteer commissioners carry compliance-review and public-hearing responsibilities.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved the meeting minutes by voice vote after a motion and second; exact counts were not specified. A motion to adjourn, seconded and approved by voice vote, ended the meeting.

The commission expects to distribute its annual report and the completed LGBTQIA+ housing research to commissioners before the next monthly meeting and to continue landlord trainings, university outreach and public events in support of Fair Housing Month.