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.”

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Builds Ramps to Give Mobility Freedom to Those in Need

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 23, 2022—Since 1993 the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has built almost 600 wheelchair access ramps for families in need. Built by MBAKS members and community volunteers, these ramps provide a much-needed benefit for those who struggle to get themselves or their loved ones safely in and out of their homes.

“As one of our signature community stewardship programs, Rampathon is something we look forward to every year,” says Jerry Hall, Executive Director at MBAKS. “I have so much gratitude for our members, who lend their free time and knowledge to provide mobility freedom to individuals and families within our community.”

MBAKS is planning to build 27 mobility ramps for deserving families across King and Snohomish Counties this year. As part of this effort, they showcased Francisco Avila-Mooney, an 8-year-old who is wheelchair-bound and has multiple equipment needs for his therapy and care. At the time of the showcase, the Avila-Mooney Family did not have a ramp, which made it difficult to get Francisco out of the house. However, thanks to the efforts of MBAKS member, Shirey Home Pro, the family now has a new ramp that aids in ease of mobility and safety, making it easier to transport Francisco to and from his appointments.

In addition to the 22 member companies that volunteered to be a part of this year’s program, long-time program sponsor Dunn Lumber supplied the lumber at no cost and BECU provided funding as the Community Sponsor.

“MBAKS has been working tirelessly since 1909 to support builders who build homes for our communities and provide attainable homes for all,” said Traci Tenhulzen, MBAKS Board President and Executive Producer at Tenhulzen Residential. “It is a pleasure to be a part of an association that provides this invaluable service of universal access to those in need. Tenhulzen Residential has been building ramps for Rampathon since the program began and we look forward to building our 33rd ramp this summer.”

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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A LEGACY OF BUILDING IN THE PUGET SOUND

Bellevue-based BDR Companies provides investment, development, and home construction in the Puget Sound area. With highly respected backgrounds in the residential development community, BDR executives have been recognized with major industry awards, including national Gold Nugget Awards for building excellence, Builder of the Year (twice), more than 100 industry-wide MAME Awards, and numerous Built Green recognitions.

Todd Bennett is the founder and president of BDR Companies. Prior to that, he was a principal in Bennett Homes for 30 years. In his current role, Todd puts together developer partnerships for BDR’s residential building projects. “Our partnerships mostly build homes. We have two groups: BDR Homes for homes priced under two million and BDR Fine Homes for homes priced over two million.”

MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN THE MBA HEALTH TRUST

Between Bennett Homes and BDR, Todd has been a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA) for 34 years (once serving as President) and the MBA Health Trust for 21 years. “MBA’s health insurance is a big benefit for us,” says Todd. “We’ve used the Trust from the beginning. All of our employees are on our plan now. We’ve always been able to provide good coverage for them. And it’s affordable for us.”

SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS

The MBA Health Trust has provided Todd and his companies with consistently lower premiums. “We’ve looked at other health insurance providers, but we’ve never been able to get the same combination of cost savings plus benefits,” he says. “The MBA plan has consistently been 10-15 percent less cost, even with the big increases in health insurance premiums since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.”

REGENCE BLUESHIELD “KEEPS IT SIMPLE”

Regence BlueShield is the MBA Health Trust’s insurance partner, and Todd has had good experiences with them over the years. “The Regence plan is flexible. So far, we haven’t had a hitch at all on who we can use and what’s covered—even with large medical issues. Regence has covered most everything so far and kept it simple.”

MBA MEMBER BENEFITS ALSO INCLUDE BUILDER ADVOCACY

In addition to the MBA Health Trust, Todd’s long membership in the MBA has helped his business in other ways. Todd says the MBA has a very strong government relations group. “A great benefit to MBA membership is the advocacy role the MBA plays,” he says. “We get a common voice in the industry. Local municipalities listen to the MBA. That’s a primary benefit from a builder standpoint. The MBA gives the builders more of a collective voice. It’s very powerful. The MBA has helped get code changes that benefit the home building industry adopted, for example.”

CITIES LISTEN, PROCESSES ARE EXPEDITED

Todd cites challenges with some cities and how the MBA interceded. “We were having slowdowns with building permits and the MBA got involved and arranged a meeting with city officials. This got the process moving forward quicker.”