Kelly Patterson

Associate Professor Kelly Patterson at the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work focuses on housing policy, fair housing advocacy, and addressing residential segregation. Her research emphasizes equitable access to affordable housing and its impact on social mobility. She holds a PhD in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has taught courses on social welfare policy and community social work since 2008.

Education: PhD in Urban Studies (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2002); MS in Public Affairs (University at Buffalo, 1995); BA in Sociology (North Carolina Central University, 1990).

Key projects include HUD-funded studies on subsidized housing siting and veteran housing outcomes. She has received awards for her work, including the 2012 Emerald Literati Award and a 2008 Outstanding Program Award for the East Side Neighborhood Transformation Partnership. Her research addresses systemic inequities in housing markets and urban policy, with recent work analyzing cannabis legalization’s social equity implications and spatial disparities in shrinking cities.