Who We Are

The Civil Rights Division is part of the Office of Equity and Inclusion. The Civil Rights Division has served the Austin community and surrounding areas since 1967 with the primary goal of promoting the fair treatment of all individuals. The Civil Rights Division continues to do critical work within the City as an enforcement agency dedicated to protecting individuals from discrimination and ensuring equal rights for all. The Division’sIts primary role is to enforce civil rights laws across areas like employment, housing, education, public accommodations, tenants’ right to organize and fair chance hiring interactions.    

In 2020, the City of Austin created the Office of Civil Rights to help protect people from discrimination in jobs, housing and public services.The Civil Rights Division enforces local fair employment and fair housing ordinances under contract with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In alignment with this commitment, the Office of Civil Rights promotes fair employment and fair housing with local outreach and events. In February of 2021, with the hire of its first ever Civil Rights Officer, the Office of Civil Rights was charged with enforcing civil rights protections which guarantee equal social and economic opportunities, and equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, color, or other personal characteristics. 

Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, the right to gainful employment, the right to housing, the right to use public facilities and freedom of religion. Civil rights are an essential component of democracy; when individuals are being denied opportunities to participate in political society, they are being denied their civil rights. In contrast to civil liberties, which are freedoms that are secured by placing restraints on government, civil rights are secured by positive government action, often in the form of legislation.

Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of the individual's membership in a particular group or class. Civil rights laws attempt to guarantee full and equal citizenship for people who have traditionally been discriminated against on the basis of some group characteristic.

The Civil Rights division is available to assist you if you believe your civil rights have been violated.