FY 97 Highlights

Thanks to the hard and smart work of staff, local commissions, and volunteers, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission had another outstanding year. We set lots of new records and expanded or improved every one of our programs.

• For the fourth year in a row, we resolved more cases than we received. Resolutions: 2,202. New complaints: 2,171.
• We accomplished our number one goal to get down to one year from filing date to resolution or completed investigations. On November 30, 1996, for the first time ever, our backlog dropped below 100. Having reached that goal, we can pretty much guarantee that new cases will be resolved, settled, or investigated within one year.
• We set a new record for annualized benefits (cash value of settlements and final decisions) $1,854,000.
• We set a new record for the highest average mediated/conciliated settlement $9,606.
• We set a new record for intake calls 10,509 (an average of 876 per month).
• We set a new record for items mailed/distributed 54,000.
• Community Diversity Appreciation Teams grew in number from eight to 17.
• We added a new program or weapon in the fight against discrimination study circles on racism and race relations.
• We began publishing a new bi-monthly study circles newsletter.
• We expanded our testing program to include lenders, as well as housing providers, employers and stores.· We expanded our video lending library and created a diversity book lending library. These resources include more that 50 video titles and 20 book titles.
• We created an ICRC Web Site, offering on-line all of our case processing forms, publications, minutes of commissioners' meetings, press releases, laws, directories, quizzes, video and book titles, and much more.
• In mid-year we started tracking the number of hours and the work accomplished by our many and dedicated volunteers. From December 1, 1996 through June 30, 1997, our 105 volunteers worked 1,774 hours, resolved 51 cases and conducted 239 tests.
• We completed our Mortgage Lending Study and issued the final report.
• The Lending Grant Team was presented with HUD's "Fair Housing Achievement" Award for its work in studying the mortgage lending practices in eight of Iowa's largest communities.

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