Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Establishes Two NAHB Student Chapters as Part of Their Emerging Professionals Initiative

BELLEVUE, Wash., October 31, 2022—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) announced today the official establishment of two NAHB Student Chapters in partnership with Edmonds College Construction Management and Seattle College Wood Technology Center. MBAKS will be the first local home building association in Washington state to have active NAHB Student Chapters in 2022.

As part of the Emerging Professionals program, these student chapters will allow participants to become student members of MBAKS, which, in addition to other benefits, provides complimentary access to events and networking opportunities with local building professionals. This program will bring awareness to field-based education, training opportunities and address the urgent need for qualified trade professionals in our industry.

“These NAHB Student Chapters are integral, vital parts of our comprehensive, ground-breaking Emerging Professionals initiative,” said Colby Goodman, MBAKS Director of Membership and Councils. “Additionally, they serve as a testament to the commitment by MBAKS to a meaningful workforce development strategy and the future of the homebuilding trades.”

MBAKS is an active, contributing partner to the BIAW Workforce Development Task Force and is a pioneer, along with other Washington local home building associations, in addressing the need to foster talent for the future of the building industry. Currently, MBAKS has plans to establish two more NAHB Student Chapters with Sno-Isle TECH and Lake Washington Institute of Technology, with the expectation of formalization of those chapters by years’ end.

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

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By Nick Harper, MBA Senior Director of Strategy and Policy

Dec. 19, 2016—Earlier this month, the Master Builders Association recognized several individuals for their contributions to the Association at our annual Winter Gala and Installation of Officers. The event took place Dec. 8 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

The MBA honored three members who have been integral to our accomplishments in 2016 with Member of the Year Awards. Bonnie Geers of Quadrant Homes was named Builder Member of the Year; Joseph Irons of Irons Brothers Construction was named Remodeler Member of the Year; and Duana Koloušková of Johns Monroe Mitsunaga and Koloušková was named Associate Member of the Year.

All three of these members were recognized, in part, for their contributions to our Association's advocacy efforts on behalf of housing.

Bonnie has long been a trusted voice in housing policy and land use discussions at the MBA, regularly testifying before city councils and planning commissions in support of our industry's positions on housing issues. She has also chaired the Association's political action committee, the Affordable Housing Council, since 2014.

As our Association's 2016 President, Joseph Irons has emphasized the importance of Building Synergy Together. This concept of working together as a team and reaching out to build partnerships in the community is a vital element to the advocacy work we do at the MBA. Joseph has also been a tireless advocate for workforce development, stressing the importance of encouraging young people to enter the trades and the need to support them with adequate funding for career and technical education.

Duana has always provided thoughtful input on housing policy and land use issues, engaging with the Housing Policy Committee and the AHC. She also served as co-counsel on the MBA's behalf on a case concerning the city of Seattle's ‘qualifying lot' design review ordinance. In a decisive victory for the MBA, this bad ordinance was overturned.

In addition to the Member of the Year awards, the MBA honored Don Davis, retired director of government affairs, with an Exceptional Service Award. This award recognizes members and staff for their many years of professional leadership and exemplary service to the MBA. Don served the Association for over 32 years, advocating on behalf of housing and working to promote a better climate for housing. Among his many accomplishments, Don developed the fundraising concept behind our Association's "Just Ten Percent" program, which encourages members to donate 10 percent of their GRIP or ROII returns to the Affordable Housing Council to help support housing-friendly candidates and causes. To this day, having contributions to this fund is a critical element in our success on lobbying on behalf of the residential building industry.

The Gala concluded with the presentation of the MBA Hall of Fame award, which this year went to the late Myra Williams. Myra was honored for her outstanding achievement in member recruiting, which certainly contributed greatly to our Association's membership growth. But more than that, Myra was acknowledged for being such an active and engaged member. Her strong enthusiasm for this Association was, and still is, an inspiration to others.

It was also great to see Mark Huber of Huber's Custom Building honored with the Spirit of Service Award and Anthony Maschmedt of Dwell Development recognized with the Built Green® Moving the Market Award—both very well deserved.

Congratulations to all the award recipients! These individuals offer an important reminder of the positive accomplishments that can be realized by simply being willing to step up and lead by example.

Thinking about incoming President Mike Walsh's theme for 2017, "Elevating Our Influence," I'd like to encourage all of us to find ways to engage more with the Association. Whether it's advocacy, community stewardship, or some other area, there are lots of ways members can get more involved in bringing about positive changes for housing and the community.

Photo credit: Alabastro Photography

Washington state and the Puget Sound region are experiencing a significant housing supply shortage. The latest numbers from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service show that we have less than a two-week supply of homes for sale in King and Snohomish counties. For perspective, many industry analysts consider a four-to-six-month supply as an indicator of a healthy market.

The Puget Sound Regional Council has said in their Housing Needs Assessment that our four-county Puget Sound region needs 800,000 new homes by 2050 to meet the future need. For King County alone, the Regional Affordability Task Force has reported a total of 244,000 net new homes are needed by 2040 to meet demand. At this point we are already starting several hundreds of thousands of homes behind.

Why does this matter?
Limited housing supply increases the costs of homes, which makes becoming a homeowner out of reach for more community members.

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service January data, the median price for single-family homes in King County rose 9.46%, from $740,000 a year ago to $810,000. In Snohomish County, the median price rose 22.06%, from $573,495 to $700,000.

What created this housing supply shortage?
There are several factors that contribute to the housing supply shortage in our region and hinders our industry’s ability to add more affordable housing choices. These factors include:

• Inflation driving up the costs of building materials 

• Limited land supply on which to build

• Local development regulations not aligned with meeting the urgent need for more housing

• Permit delays

• Persistent labor shortages making is challenging to keep projects on schedule

• Supply chain disruptions

Additionally, King County is experiencing a shortage of concrete due to a nearly three-month long strike across numerous local concrete companies. Most American home foundations are concrete, along with other integral outdoor features such as pathways, stairs, and sidewalks. The inability to get concrete to builders’ jobsites is inhibiting their ability to meet the demand for additional housing.

Where does MBAKS fit into this?
Driven by our mission, MBAKS is committed to ensuring all people can attain housing. One way we do this is through our advocacy work. Our government affairs team is dedicated to making sure our members have a voice in policy and regulatory debates that directly impact the housing industry. Only through our direct participation in this dialogue can we hope to create a better climate for housing.