The Iowa Civil Rights Commission is currently working to determine the key barriers or impediments to fair housing in Iowa and the most effective ways of addressing these challenges.  Fair housing means all persons have equal opportunity to be considered for rental units, purchase of property, housing loans, property insurance, or other housing services without regard for race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, mental disability, physical disability, and familial status (presence of children).   

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission will be conducting an online survey, holding public forums in four communities around the state, and offering the survey at its booth in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair.  The online survey can be accessed via the link on the Iowa Civil Rights Commission’s website: www.state.ia.us/government/crc. This short, five-minute survey for Iowa residents only will be available through September 1, 2009. 

Public hearings will take place in the following four cities. Hard copies of the surveys will be available at the hearings in both English and Spanish.

• Marshalltown: August 26, 2009 at 5:00PM

Marshalltown Public Library, Rooms A & B (

• Storm Lake: August 27, 2009 at 5:00PM

Storm Lake Public Library (

• Perry: August 31, 2009 at 5PM

Perry Public Library (

• Urbandale: September 1, 2009 at 5:00PM

Urbandale City Council Chambers (

The public hearings will ask residents to address the following questions:

1.   Are people discriminated against in housing because of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, familial status (presence of children in the home), or religion?

2.   If so, what can the community do to prevent future discrimination?

Participants can share their ideas in verbal or written form. Comments regarding these questions can also be submitted to Anna McGlaun or Geof Fischer by September 1, 2009 at anna.mcglaun@iowa.gov, geofrey.fischer@iowa.gov, or by regular mail c/o Iowa Civil Rights Commission,

The results of the survey and public hearings will be tabulated and placed on the Iowa Civil Rights Commission website, along with the full report of the 2009 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing in Iowa. The Commission has been contracted by the Iowa Department of Economic Development to meet this federal requirement to determine the status of fair housing and to recommend ways to address any identified areas of concern. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission also contracts with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to receive and resolve cases of housing discrimination and to conduct education and outreach to prevent discrimination.