Utica University Professor Presents Research on Housing Segregation in Upstate New York

Jeff Miller’s New York History Conference presentation examined the role of redlining and racially restrictive covenants in shaping communities in and around Utica and Rome.

Utica University Professor Jeff Miller presented research on the history of housing segregation in Upstate New York during the 2026 New York History Conference, held June 11–12 at Marist University.

Miller, a Professor of Communication and Fulbright Scholar at Utica University, presented “Major Real Estate Firms That Segregated Upstate New York” during the Friday, June 12, conference session “Claiming Place: Strategies of Inclusivity and Exclusivity from the Tri-State to Upstate.”

According to Utica University, Miller’s current research focuses on the history and legacy of redlining and racial covenants used to intentionally create segregated communities in and around Utica and Rome.

The topic connects national housing discrimination practices to local history in the Mohawk Valley. Redlining refers to the practice of rating neighborhoods for mortgage lending risk in ways that often reflected racial, ethnic, and economic bias. Racially restrictive covenants were clauses placed in property deeds that attempted to prevent certain groups of people from buying, renting, or occupying homes in specific neighborhoods.

Although racially restrictive covenants are no longer legally enforceable, historians and housing researchers continue to study their long-term effects on residential patterns, homeownership, neighborhood investment, and generational wealth.

Miller’s research focuses on how these practices appeared locally, including in Utica, Rome, and surrounding communities. His work examines the ways real estate practices and property records can help explain how segregation was built into the physical and social development of communities.

The presentation also adds to broader public conversations about housing equity, zoning, neighborhood investment, and historic preservation. Understanding how past housing policies shaped local communities can help residents, planners, educators, and policymakers better evaluate present-day housing challenges.

Local housing history is especially important because residential patterns affect more than where people live. They influence access to schools, transportation, public services, health outcomes, home values, and opportunities to build family wealth.

By examining redlining, racial covenants, and the actions of real estate firms, Miller’s presentation highlights how historical records can help communities better understand the roots of present-day inequality.

Sources

New York State Museum — 2026 New York History Conference program. The program lists Jeff Miller, Professor of Communication and Fulbright Scholar at Utica University, as presenter of “Major Real Estate Firms That Segregated Upstate New York” during the June 12 session “Claiming Place: Strategies of Inclusivity and Exclusivity from the Tri-State to Upstate.”

Utica University — Faculty profile for Jeff A. Miller, Ph.D., Professor of Communication. The profile states that Miller’s current research focuses on the history and legacy of redlining and racial covenants used to intentionally create segregated communities in and around Utica and Rome, New York.

The Other Side Utica — Event listing for “The Big Conversation: Red Lines and ‘White Nooses’”, describing Miller’s research on redlining in Utica and racially restrictive covenants in property deeds in New Hartford, Deerfield, and Rome.

Mapping Inequality, University of Richmond Digital Scholarship Lab — Historical Home Owners’ Loan Corporation maps and background on redlining and neighborhood risk grading.

National Fair Housing Alliance — Background information on discriminatory housing practices, including redlining, restrictive covenants, and their continuing impact on housing equity.