The Iowa Department of Human Rights (DHR) is a state agency with a mission to ensure basic rights, freedoms, and opportunities for all by empowering underrepresented Iowans and eliminating economic, social, and cultural barriers. DHR’s core functions are the administration of federal programs to help low income families, research and data analysis pertaining to juvenile and criminal justice issues, and advocacy and services to Iowans who have historically been marginalized. Originally conceived in 1987 and reorganized in 2010, DHR serves as an umbrella for several agencies and offices that had previously operated independently.
