FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Sharon Couts
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
425.499.1723

10-Point Action Plan to Fight the Housing Affordability Crisis in the Puget Sound Region to be Announced at 2017 Housing Summit

Free event on Tuesday, October 17, to focus on housing attainability solutions

Bellevue, Wash—October 4, 2017—The Puget Sound area's housing market is in crisis. The demand for housing in our region continues to significantly outpace residential housing supply, making it difficult to purchase reasonably priced homes near job centers. In response, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has identified a 10-point action plan to help provide attainable housing for our growing population.

"Our region's housing attainability crisis is a big problem that demands bold solutions," said Nick Harper, MBAKS senior director of strategy and policy. "We need to come together to implement a legislative agenda that helps ensure housing opportunities for everyone."

Witness live the unveiling of this bold legislative agenda at the fourth annual MBAKS Housing Summit October 17, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. The Housing Summit begins at 8:30 a.m. This free event will be emceed by Pat Cashman and will include presentations by top housing experts and area leaders. Featured speakers include:

• Clay White, Principal Planner, LDC Inc
• Elliot Eisenberg, nationally renowned economist
• Jon Nehring, Marysville Mayor
• Gail Luxenberg, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County
• Joe Fitzgibbon, Representative, 34th District
• Brian Bonlender, agency director, Washington State Department of Commerce
• Pat Cashman, emcee, local TV and radio personality

Space is limited. Register online at mbaks.com or by calling (425) 451-7920.

 

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About MBAKS

Founded in 1909, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has grown to become the largest residential homebuilders association in the United States. With 2,900 member companies, the association is dedicated to membership value, housing advocacy, community service, and financial stewardship throughout the Puget Sound region.

 

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

At the end of the first quarter of 2018, King County is leading the way in building permit activity in the region, with single family permits up 19 percent and multifamily permits up 25 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, single-family permits have dropped 19 percent in Snohomish County and multifamily permits are down 58 percent year-over-year.  For the three-county region as a whole (King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties), permits are up 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

The Builders' Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

Contact: data@mbaks.com

King County is now joining nearby counties, such as Snohomish and Pierce, that have seen home prices dropping for months. Reflective in the latest data from The Northwest Multiple Listing Service showing cooling prices, it is now apparent that homebuying and listing for homes and condos has decreased. The median price of single-family homes and condos was $760,000 in King County and $680,000 in Snohomish County.

Read the full April Builders Bulletin: