By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The supply of housing inventory for sale in July remained very low in the Seattle market, with 1.13 months’ supply in King County and just 0.73 months’ supply in Snohomish County, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Meanwhile, single-family permits in the Seattle metro area (including King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties) were down 7% and multifamily permits down by 11% in June, compared to the same period last year.

The Office of Financial Management’s (OFM) annual population projections have been released, showing strong continued growth in Washington. The 2020 estimates indicate Washington’s population grew to more than 7.6 million people as of April 1. The Puget Sound region’s population, including King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties, grew by more than 60,800. According to OFM, most of the population change occurred before the COVID-19 crisis.

The Builder's 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.

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By Noah Haglund, The Everett Herald

Everett, Wash.—A united Snohomish County Council passed a budget Monday that staves off most public safety cuts with help from a modest property tax increase.

The spending plan for 2017 followed the contours that council Chairman Terry Ryan had recommended a week earlier. Ryan's budget, in turn, hewed closely to a $238 million plan that Executive Dave Somers unveiled in September, though the council softened cuts to key sheriff's office programs.

Each election cycle, our Affordable Housing Council (AHC) interviews candidates at the city, county, and state levels to determine their degree of support for our industry.

The following candidates have received an AHC endorsement for the 2020 election cycle. 

Ballots will be mailed out Wednesday, October 14 and are due Tuesday, November 3. Your vote in support of AHC-endorsed candidates will go a long way toward affecting the outcome of these critical races. 

For dropbox locations, ballot questions, and more, visit King County Elections or Snohomish County Elections.