In criticizing Fox "News," the late Steve Jobs famously said, "The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is constructive-destructive, and you've cast your lot with the destructive people." Nationally, destructive policy comes from the right.

On the Planet Seattle, however, a good deal of destructive policy comes from the left. Chief example is the demand for construction impact fees by some on the City Council and among candidates for mayor and council posts. The claim is to "make growth pay for itself." And the implication is that developers are getting a free ride.

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Reports Highlight Flaws in Mandatory Affordable Housing Fees

by MBAKS Government Affairs

Two new reports from ECOnorthwest shed light on key shortcomings in inclusionary zoning policies and the nexus studies often used to justify mandatory affordable housing requirements on new market-rate development.

MBAKS commissioned ECOnorthwest, an independent third-party public policy research firm, to prepare these reports in support of more informed local dialogue around affordable housing strategies.

The first report, Mandatory Affordable Housing Fees Carry Unintended Consequences, examines the real-world impacts of imposing affordable housing fees without corresponding incentives. It finds that mandatory affordable housing fees, though well-intentioned, disproportionately affect middle housing projects, often tipping them from risky to infeasible and preventing them from being built altogether. 

The second, How Nexus Studies Misunderstand the Affordable Housing Challenge, highlights a core flaw in the logic underpinning many nexus studies: the assumption that new market-rate housing is the primary driver of demand for affordable housing. The report describes several issues with this assumption, arguing that the framework used to justify mandatory inclusionary requirements misrepresents the true dynamics of housing markets. It does so by ignoring the broader supply shortage and the filtering process through which new housing helps ease pressure on lower-cost homes. By attributing the affordability crisis to new development rather than to structural undersupply, nexus studies risk reinforcing policies that further constrain housing production—ultimately exacerbating the very problem they aim to solve.

The ECOnorthwest reports reinforce the need to continue advancing solutions that increase supply at all levels. MBAKS is committed to being a collaborative partner in addressing the region’s housing shortage so our communities can be more affordable and inclusive for all.

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

REX/T-REX Awards of the Master Builders Association Wins National Award

Bellevue, Wash., October 25, 2016—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA) was recently honored with a national Council Award for Demonstrating Remodeling Excellence (CADRE) award, Public Relations and Promotion category, in recognition of their Remodeling Excellence (REX) and Trade Remodeling Excellence (T-REX) awards program. The CADREs are presented each year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers program.

The awards were announced October 6 during the annual NAHB Remodelers awards presentation at the 2016 Remodeling Show in Baltimore.

The MBA took home the honors in the public relations category of the CADREs for their work on their 30th anniversary Remodeling Excellence (REX) Awards event. Their efforts to improve the event resulted in an attendance increase of more than 100%, an 18% increase in award entry submissions, and triple the number of sponsorships from 2015.

The CADRE is the NAHB Remodelers' highest national award for work at the local level. To learn more about the REX/T-REX program, visit mbaks.com/rc

About the MBA

Founded in 1909, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA) has grown to become the largest residential home builders association in the United States. With 2,800 member companies, the MBA is dedicated to membership value, government advocacy, financial stewardship, and promoting the residential building industry in the Puget Sound Region. The Association and its members address many of the concerns and issues affecting the residential housing industry. If you are looking to buy, build, remodel, or maintain your home, trust the MBA for industry professional referrals and practical information to get the job done. mbaks.com

ABOUT NAHB

The National Association of Home Builders, or NAHB, is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB builder members will construct about 80% of the new housing units projected in 2016.

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