This week, Built Green Program Manager Leah Missik and Greg Lotakis of PHC Construction discuss why it's worth it to certify projects Built Green.

Learn more about Built Green® certification

By Joshua McNichols, KUOW

As you head east to Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90, lush green forests line the freeway.

That land has been protected from development. But sometimes communities believe they need development to thrive.

The question of when to grow—and when to restrict growth—can lead to hard decisions.

Shannon Affholter is the executive director of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, the largest and oldest local homebuilders association in the nation. Previously, he was the vice president of business and economic development for Economic Alliance Snohomish County. While there, he advanced strategic growth plans, advocated on behalf of business and fostered economic development in the region. He also was elected to serve two terms on the Everett City Council.

Prior to his tenure at Economic Alliance Snohomish County, Affholter was a business development executive at the regional accounting firm of Moss Adams and an account executive with Merck. He holds an MBA from Western Washington University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University. In The Money Hour segment today, Shannon talks about how the demand for housing has significantly outpaced residential housing supply.