March 2, 2017. In an op-ed, FPI’s David Dyssegaard Kallick and Eva Hassett, executive of the International Institute of Buffalo argue that refugee resettlement is good for the Buffalo economy.
The biggest challenge facing Buffalo is population decline. In 1950, Buffalo had 578,000 residents. In 2015, the population was 283,000, less than half that number. That means empty and deteriorating houses, schools and shops; lower tax revenues to support infrastructure; and fewer working-age residents to support job growth.
Immigrants and refugees are already reversing population loss. Over the past 15 years, Buffalo’s U.S.-born population continued to decline, while its immigrant population grew. It didn’t quite balance out, but it’s getting close – between 2000 and 2015, the U.S.-born population dropped by 22,000 while the number of immigrants grew by 12,000.
Here’s the link to the Buffalo News.