A Builder Who Became an Advocate. A Survivor Who Became an Author.
Jay Knight has spent nearly five decades on the front lines of American homebuilding — fighting for the families those homes are built for. As a residential land developer, homebuilder, and co-founder of the Georgia Residential Land Development Council, his career has taken him from job sites to boardrooms to the state capitol.
But Jay's story doesn't end at the job site. In Richer Poorer Sickness Health, he shares the deeply personal account of a financial crisis and a life-threatening illness during COVID — and the faith, the marriage, and the praying community that carried him through.
Jay Knight's Books
BOOKS
Zoned Out — The Affordable Housing Solutions Book America Needs
"Zoned Out doesn't just name the problem. It hands you the solutions."
Jay Knight's book, Zoned Out, cuts through the noise and explains exactly what is blocking affordable homebuilding in America: restrictive zoning, permitting red tape, and regulatory barriers that drive up the cost of every home before a single nail is driven. More importantly, Jay offers realistic, market-driven solutions that don't require a new government program.
Richer Poorer Sickness Health — A Faith and Marriage Resilience Book for Anyone Facing Impossible Odds
"The example of a man who survived and thrived because of God and the tenacity of his wife."
A business brought to its knees. A financial crisis that cost them their home. A life-threatening illness during COVID that nearly took everything. Jay and Michelle Knight survived it all — because of faith, commitment to each other, and a community that refused to stop praying. This is their story.
Build Baby Build —
The Podcast for Housing Solutions
Every week Jay Knight brings together residential developers, builders, elected officials, and housing advocates to tackle the issues driving America's home affordability crisis — and find real solutions. No politics. No subsidies. Just straight talk from the people who build America's homes.
Build Baby Build —
The Podcast for Housing Solutions
Every week Jay Knight brings together residential developers, builders, elected officials, and housing advocates to tackle the issues driving America's home affordability crisis — and find real solutions. No politics. No subsidies. Just straight talk from the people who build America's homes.
"The teacher, the firefighter, the nurse — they built your community. They should be able to afford to live in it."
"The teacher, the firefighter, the nurse — they built your community. They should be able to afford to live in it."
America is in the middle of a home affordability crisis that is quietly getting worse. The average first-time homebuyer is now 40 years old. Police officers, teachers, and firefighters cannot afford to live in the communities they serve. Most people know homes are expensive — but very few understand why, or what can actually be done about it.
Jay not only understands the why, he's working to solve the problems that keep families from putting down roots in a place they can truly call home.
SPEAKING
Book Jay to Speak
Jay Knight speaks on two tracks — and brings the same plain-spoken, solution-focused approach to both.
Developers, builders, real estate attorneys, elected officials, and association conferences. Jay delivers a clear-eyed, experience-backed case for what is causing the home affordability crisis and what market-based solutions can actually fix it.
Churches, couples' retreats, Christian business gatherings, and marriage conferences. Jay shares the deeply personal story behind Richer Poorer Sickness Health — authentic, grounded, and built on the conviction that faith and commitment to the people you love can carry you through anything.
Nearly 5 Decades of Results Author. Advocate. Builder. Speaker
From the Desk of Jay Knight
Jay writes on the issues he knows best — the regulatory barriers blocking affordable homebuilding and the market solutions that actually work.
Will the 500-Year Floodplain Become America’s Next Regulatory Boundary?
Housing Moratoriums: The Fastest Way to Make Homes More Expensive
THE BLOG
Connect with Jay
Whether you are looking for real answers to America's housing crisis, a speaker who has lived every word he says, or a story of faith and perseverance that meets you right where you are — Jay Knight has something for you.