By the Everett Herald

Members of Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Professional Women in Building Council, and AAA KARTAK on Sept. 30 volunteered to rake, measure, dig, and plant around the future homes of low-income families at Housing Hope’s Main Street project in Monroe.

By Allison Butcher, Master Builders Association, The Lens News

Over the past 18 months, five King County cities have adopted a building moratorium, temporarily putting the brakes on new home construction.

While a moratorium is legal, it does not mean it is good policy. At a time when demand for housing is far outpacing housing supply, which drives up both home prices and rents and makes housing less attainable, building moratoria certainly are not good for housing. They also are not good for our economy or the families and workers looking for a home closer to job centers. Furthermore, they potentially could run counter to our region's transportation investments that contemplate the need for more transit-oriented development in certain areas.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

The HMI was 45 nationally, while in the West the HMI was 41. While this is still below 50 and indicates pessimism about the housing market, the sentiment is slowly rising compared to months prior. The HMI is based on a monthly survey of NAHB members designed to take the pulse of the single-family housing market.

Read the full May Builders Bulletin: