Office of Business Opportunity
Title VI Complaint Submission Procedure
Any person believing he or she has been subjected to unequal treatment or discrimination on the grounds of race, color or national origin, excluded from, denied participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise has been subjected to discrimination under any City of Houston, or its sub-recipient’s, service, program or activity (whether Federally funded or not), may file a complaint with the City of Houston Title VI Coordinator. This process applies to all complaints filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This is an administrative process that does not provide for compensatory or punitive damages. These complaint procedures with the City of Houston does not deny the right of the complainant to file formal complaints with other State or Federal agencies.
The complaint process provides for protections under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If a complaint is filed alleging discrimination due to a person's race, color, national origin, sex, age, creed, low-income status, minority status and/or limited English proficiency (LEP), the City of Houston will review these complaints to determine if they may be resolved informally.
Complaints of discrimination based on disability will be addressed under the City of Houston's Title II ADA complaint process. Submit Title II complaints here.
Airport employees, tenants and contractors receiving a Title VI complaint must submit the written complaint to the Title VI Coordinator within 48 hours of receipt. Title VI complaints regarding Houston Hobby (HOU), George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), and/or Ellington Airports, alleging discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age or creed, will be forwarded to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by the Title VI Coordinator within 15 days of receipt.
To be accepted, the complaint must:
- Be based on discrimination as described above.
- Allege that the discrimination was committed by the City of Houston, its employees, or a subrecipient (contractor/subcontractor) of the City of Houston.
- Be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination (or at the time the complainant became aware).
The original complaint may be submitted in writing, via email or fax. It should be submitted to the following coordinator. If assistance is required to complete the form, please call 311.
Attn: Norma Meadows, Title VI Coordinator
Office of Business Opportunity
611 Walker Street, 7th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Email: TitleVI@houstontx.gov
Fax: 832-393-0626
The complaint should include the name, address, phone number and signature of complainant. The formal complaint should describe the alleged discriminatory act that violates Title VI in detail.
These complaint procedures do not deny the right of the complainant to file formal complaints with other State or Federal agencies.
Transportation complaints filed under Title VI with the City of Houston will be forwarded to the Texas Department of Transportation or the United States Department of Transportation, if applicable, within (10) calendar days. Complaints may also be filed directly with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) within the 180-day period of the alleged discriminatory act (or latest occurrence).
A complaint may be filed directly with the Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration by contacting the Office of Civil Rights:
Transportation Federal Transit Administration
Attn: Title VI Program Coordinator East Building, 5th Floor-TCR
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
A complaint may be filed directly with the Texas Department of Transportation by contacting the Office of Civil Rights:
Texas Dept. of Transportation
Office of Civil Rights
125 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Complaints may be filed directly with the Federal Aviation Administration administrator by contacting the Office of Civil Rights. The complaint must be filed with the FAA no later than 180 days after the date of the alleged discriminatory act or if the discrimination is ongoing, the date the conduct was disclosed.
Federal Aviation Administration Office of Civil Rights, ACR-I
800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20591
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL):
E-mail: CRCLCompliance@hq.dhs.gov (fastest method to submit your complaint)
Fax: 202-401-4708
U.S. Mail:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Compliance Branch, Mail Stop #0190
2707 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20528
For additional information: www.dhs.gov/crcl
Phone: 202-401-1474
Toll-Free: 1-866-644-8360
Download Complaint Forms here (.pdf):
- Title VI Complaint Form (updated April 2023)
- Notifying the Public of Rights Under Title VI (updated April 2023)
- Title VI Non-Discrimination Policy
