DHR & the Freedom of Information Law

The Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”), Article 6 (Sections 84-90) of the NYS Public Officers Law, provides the public right to access to records maintained by government agencies with certain exceptions. 

“Record” means any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for this agency, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or disks, rules, regulations or codes.

Learn more about records access and Open FOIL NY.

Submit a FOIL request using the online form below

E-mail a written request to: 

[email protected]

Within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, we will send you a letter either: making such record available; denying such request in writing; or furnishing a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request.  If you have not received a letter within five business days, please contact us at 718-741-8422 or [email protected].

An acknowledgment letter will provide you with an estimate of when the records you request will be available, which shall be reasonable under the circumstances of the request. This date is determined by the number of documents you request, their format, their availability, the time it takes to redact any information that cannot be disclosed pursuant to FOIL, the time it takes to assemble the documents, and other factors. 

If the records you request require a fee to be paid, you will be notified prior to the records being released to you. Unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by statute, Public Officers Law §87(1) authorizes an agency to charge a fee of 25¢ per copy for copies of records up 9”x 14”, or the actual cost of reproducing a record. In determining the actual cost of producing a record, an agency may include only:

• an amount equal to the hourly salary attributed to the lowest paid agency employee who has the necessary skill required to prepare the requested record(s), if at least two hours of agency employee time is needed to prepare a copy of the record(s) requested;
• the actual cost of the storage devices or media provided to the person making the request in complying with such request; and
• the actual cost to the agency of engaging an outside professional service to prepare a copy of a record, but only when an agency's information technology equipment is inadequate to prepare a copy, if such service is used to prepare the copy.

Once the requested records are prepared, you may receive the records via email, fax, paper, CD/DVD, or USB. Records are available for review at the Division’s main office at One Fordham Plaza, 4th Floor, Bronx, New York 10458.

Whenever practicable, records shall also be made available for review at a regional office most convenient to the requester. Regional offices are located throughout the State, and their addresses may be obtained from the main office of the agency, by calling 718-741-8400 or by writing to the New York State Division of Human Rights, One Fordham Plaza, 4th Floor, Bronx, New York 10458 or from the Division’s web site.

Under provisions of the Public Officers Law you may appeal a FOIL determination.  If you desire to submit such an appeal, you must do so within 30 days of the written response to your FOIL request. Please include a copy of the original request for records and a copy of the FOIL response letter you received along with your appeal letter to: 

Caroline J. Downey, General Counsel,

New York State Division of Human Rights,

One Fordham Plaza, 4th Floor,

Bronx, New York 10458,

Fax: 718-741-8102.

You will be informed in writing of the decision within ten business days of our receipt of such an appeal.  Please indicate the FOIL Request Number when corresponding on this subject.

Updated: January 5, 2021

Record Location: One Fordham Plaza, Bronx, New York 10458

Please note, there may be exceptions to availability pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.

1. The Human Rights Law, Executive Law Article 15
2. Rules and Regulations
3. General Administrative Records. This includes but not limited to Personnel Records, Payroll Records, Finance Records & Mail Room Records
4. Leases and Contracts
5. Administrative Policies and Procedures
6. Internal Training Manuals
7. General Counsel Legal Opinions
8. Memorandum of Law.
9. Human Rights Resource Guide
10. Information Technology Services Records
11. Public Information Publications
12. Annual Reports
13. Press Releases
14. Statistics
15. Public Hearing Calendar
16. Final Agency Determinations and Commissioner Orders
17. Complaint Files
18. Computerized Case Index of Complaints
19. General Correspondence
20. Memoranda of Understanding with Local Commissions
21. Work Sharing Agreements with EEOC & HUD
22. Freedom of Information Law Requests
23. Freedom of Information Law Appeals
24. NYS Division of Human Rights State Archives Retention Schedules
25. Internal Control Policy

Housing Complaints Filed with DHR - Calendar Year 2018

Housing Complaints Filed with DHR - Calendar Year 2019

Housing Complaints Filed with DHR - Calendar Year 2020

For more information about FOIL, please visit the New York State Committee on Open Government's website.
When submitting a FOIL request:

• Be as specific as possible in describing the requested records. Include relevant dates, names, descriptions, etc. See suggested language for a FOIL request from the Committee on Open Government.
• Specify whether you would like to inspect the records or have copies of the records sent to you.
• If records are available, specify how you want them sent, i.e., via US mail, e-mail or fax. We may choose to send the records by U.S. mail, if you have requested a large volume of records, for security or other important reasons. We will notify you of any charge for reproducing such records before they are sent to you.
• Include your e-mail, mailing address and fax number, as well as a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours, if it is necessary to clarify your request.
• Please note that the agency is not required to create a new record in response to FOIL requests.