The Daily Bulletin Archive

Jason Knight, associate professor of political science, public administration, and planning, was awarded a $30,000 grant from Erie County to support his spring 2023 sabbatical research on affordable housing and the deliberate exclusionary nature of regional zoning codes, which support embedded racial and economic segregation in the City of Buffalo. As part of this work, he developed the program and list of speakers for the second annual Erie County Housing Summit, hosted at the Rural Outreach Center on September 20. As the lead speaker for the event for the second year in a row, Dr. Knight laid out the need for increased affordable housing development across all geographies in the county and discussed the role of exclusionary suburban zoning in limiting housing options and opportunities. His final report will focus on socially just actions that Erie County and its communities must take to create opportunities for all households. His work continues to support the actual practice of social justice by supporting local governments, neighborhood organizations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in addressing the systemic inequality embedded in our local housing, land use, and neighborhood reinvestment systems.