Thirty Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counites (MBAKS) members and government affairs staff traveled to the State Capitol on Wednesday, January 24 to advocate for housing on our annual Hill Day.

This was MBAKS’ first in-person Hill Day in Olympia since 2020, having gone virtual the past three years. MBAKS met with 31 legislators whose districts include parts of King and Snohomish counties.

“Hill Day is an excellent opportunity engage in direct dialogue with state lawmakers on our issues and build meaningful connections,” said Dylan Sluder, MBAKS’ state government affairs manager.

Members highlighted our association’s support for several pro-housing bills under consideration in the Washington State Legislature, including lot-splitting, parking flexibility, the Washington Housing Accountability Act, co-living housing, rural accessory dwelling units, Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) reform, and more.

Read MBAKS’ Core Issues to learn more about the bills members highlighted in conversations with legislators.

MBAKS also expressed our strong concerns with a bill that would ban natural gas. The bill, HB 1589, passed the House earlier in the week in a 52-44-2 vote and is now pending before the Senate.

Sluder added, “Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make the day a success! Having legislators hear from our members about why these issues matter really does make a difference.”

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.