Fair Housing Rights Center forced to work remotely after sewage flooding damages office

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Fair Housing Rights Center in Southeastern Pennsylvania is operating remotely after sewage water flooded its Northern Liberties office during a storm last week, contaminating much of the workspace and damaging office materials.

The nonprofit, which serves people across Southeastern and Central Pennsylvania, advocates for equal access to housing.

"Our mission is to ensure equal access to housing opportunities for all people," CEO Angela McIver said.

McIver said staff members must wear masks before entering the office because sewage water contaminated nearly all of the carpeting.

"We can't go into the office without wearing a mask," McIver said.

According to McIver, the storm affected the sewage line in the office, causing a toilet to back up and overflow. Cleanup crews removed the standing water, but McIver said anything the water touched is considered contaminated.

"We're not able to stay in here, because we need to protect ourselves," she said.

Boxes of files and other office contents show the extent of the damage, with many items needing to be replaced. The flooding comes after the organization faced funding challenges in 2025 when, McIver said, a federal contract was terminated.

"It was a $425,000 contract that was terminated on the spot," McIver said.

McIver said the funding was later restored following a federal lawsuit.

The flooding has now forced the organization's entire staff to work remotely. McIver said employees are continuing to serve clients using technology, including a Ring camera system that allows staff to communicate with visitors.

"You see the Ring camera here, and if someone rings the bell, I'm able to interact with them in real time," she said.

McIver said flooding has occurred before at the office, and the organization was already in the process of moving to a new location before the latest incident.

Despite the damage, the Fair Housing Rights Center continues its work while addressing the effects of the flooding.

"If we weren't working, things would be so much worse for all of the protected classes that rely on our services," McIver said.

McIver said the organization is working with the building owner to replace items damaged by the sewage water as it continues operations remotely.