By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

On Sept. 15, the third annual Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties Housing Summit drew a large crowd as we addressed our region's housing affordability crisis.

Governor Jay Inslee offered the keynote speech highlighting the need to produce more housing units and find greater efficiencies in our permit and regulatory processes. Other speakers included Windermere economist Matthew Gardner; Solid Ground President and CEO Gordon McHenry Jr.; John DesCamp of Washington Trust Bank; and Peter Orser, the director of the University of Washington's Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies.

An exclusive video detailing the struggles families face buying a home in today's market was produced for the Summit. You can also view photos from the event.

Next Steps

The Housing Summit helps launch and build momentum for your association's legislative priorities in Olympia. Housing affordability will be the focal point of those efforts in 2017 and beyond. The MBA has identified a number of areas where we plan to focus our advocacy efforts with the hope of improving housing affordability for all of our region's residents.

Specifically, the MBA will continue working to focus policy action on our region's buildable land supply; restore and protect vested development rights; address condo construction defect liability; ensure funding for housing and homeless programs occurs parallel with increased housing supply; and incentivize affordable housing. We have shared these priorities with Governor Inslee's Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB) and are making sure our voice is heard in Olympia.

The MBA also surveyed Housing Summit attendees to get their thoughts on how we can address the housing affordability crisis and we are taking this feedback into consideration. Ideas include such things as increased densities in single family neighborhoods, more focus on multifamily housing, reforming the Growth Management Act, concentrating resources on infrastructure, addressing the skilled labor shortage in the construction industry, and taking further steps to address the homeless crisis.

For more on the specific ideas discussed at the Housing Summit, the Seattle King County REALTORS® wrote this re-cap of the event and the Lens featured it here.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Announces 2021 Award Winners

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 9, 2021—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) announced the 2021 award winners at its annual year-end gala on Thursday, December 9.

Each year, MBAKS recognizes members in eight different categories: Spirit of Service, Emerging Leader, Moving the Market, Associate of the Year, Remodeler of the Year, Builder of the Year, Exceptional Service, and the MBAKS Hall of Fame Award. Winners are decided through an open member nomination and awards committee process.

Here are 2021’s winners:

Todd Levitt, Murray Franklyn Family of Companies, Bellevue, WA

Spirit of Service Award

The Spirit of Service Award recognizes an individual or company in the homebuilding industry that has demonstrated compassion and dedication through service. Volunteering time, talent, or ideas that empower or improve the quality of life of individuals, families, or groups in our community.

In 2021, Todd Levitt served as MBAKS President, where he made service his annual theme. In addition to his service to our industry, Todd also volunteers in the community, working with the Boy Scouts of America, Doxa Housing, and MBAKS’ Rampathon and Painting a Better Tomorrow community events.

Cameron Kartak, AAA Kartak Co., Everett, WA

Emerging Leader Award

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes up-and-coming members who have made significant contributions to MBAKS and the homebuilding industry. In addition, they demonstrate tremendous potential for future leadership and service.

Cameron Kartak has mentored members of both MBAKS and staff at his family-owned business. He has served as Membership Council Chair, Associate Director at Large on the MBAKS Board of Directors, and Finance Committee member.

Joe Schwab, Uniplex Construction, Redmond, WA

Joseph Irons, Irons Brothers Construction, Shoreline, WA

Exceptional Service Award

The Exceptional Service award is the highest recognition award for members and staff for their many years of professional leadership and/or exemplary service to MBAKS.

Joe Schwab, who served as MBAKS President in 2008, has always been incredibly committed to the success of MBAKS and all our members. He has shown the same dedication while advancing our industry’s priorities on state and national levels, providing a stable, consistent voice for homebuilding during good times and bad.

Joseph Irons, who served as MBAKS President in 2016, has always had a passion for giving back to the community. As a past chair of the Rampathon Committee, he developed and designed many of the standards and processes members use to build ramps today. Irons Brothers Construction has been building Rampathon ramps for neighbors in need since 2005.

Melissa Irons, Irons Brothers Construction, Shoreline, WA

Sandy McAdams | PWB Woman of the Year

Named after past MBAKS president, Sandy McAdams, who was the first woman president of our association, the recipient of this award is selected by their peers. It honors an individual who exemplifies excellence and commitment to making a difference.

Melissa Irons has been an active member of MBAKS and its councils for more than a decade, along with volunteering for leadership roles within those councils. She has been a proactive volunteer in MBAKS community stewardship programs for several years, participating in Rampathon and Painting a Better Tomorrow.

Evergreen Certified, Seattle, WA

Moving the Market Award, Built Green

The Moving the Market Award recognizes a person, business, or government entity that has taken actions or implemented programs that advance and expand Built Green certification, promote Built Green as a brand, and demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship.

For more than a decade, Evergreen Certified has worked with dozens of MBAKS builder members to help remove barriers that would prevent them from reaching for more sustainable practices. The company has verified hundreds of units and their projects have won both local and national awards.

Luellen Smith, Rhino Wine Cellars and Cooling Systems, Issaquah, WA

2021 Associate of the Year

The Associate of the Year award is dedicated to non-builder MBAKS members who have made an impact on the association and its work.

Luellen Smith has a long and accomplished tenure on the MBAKS Board of Directors, she has served as Secretary of the Finance Committee, and chaired the Membership Council, Membership Retention Committee, the REX/T-REX Awards, and Professional Women in Building Council.

Jennifer VanderBeken, VanderBeken Remodel, Marysville, WA

2021 Remodeler of the Year

The Remodeler of the Year award is presented to leaders in the remodeling industry, who display an exemplary talent in their work.

Jennifer VanderBeken’s artistry and skill as a remodeler have earned her numerous accolades, including two REX/T-REX Remodeling Excellence Awards in 2016 and 2020. She has also taken home the BIAW Excellence in Remodeling Award in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the National Chrysalis Award in 2018, and Best of Houzz Service Award.

Brian Holtzclaw, Village Life Homes LLC, Lynnwood, WA

2021 Builder of the Year

The Builder of the Year award doesn’t just go to members with exceptional building capabilities, but to those members who go beyond and are leaders within the industry.

Brian Holtzclaw, served as MBAKS President in 2020, works as legal counsel for Village Life, and represents the great citizens of Mill Creek as Mayor. When the State shut down in March 2020, he lobbied relentlessly alongside MBAKS and BIAW to convince Governor Inslee to reopen the construction industry. As a result, construction was the first major industry to get back to work in May 2020. Brian has had a distinguished career touching on every aspect of homebuilding.

Brian Ross, Oakpointe, Bellevue, WA

MBAKS Hall of Fame

The purpose of the MBAKS Hall of Fame award is to honor people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our association.

Throughout Brian Ross’ time at MBAKS, he has been a tireless supporter of sound housing policy and Government Affairs’ efforts to advance it. He remains active on the Affordable Housing Council board and his dedication and service to MBAKS is matched by his highly attuned business sense when it comes to housing and development.

For more information on this release, contact Stephanie Giralmo at sgiralmo@mbaks.com

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 MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Single family permits are down 10 percent in the Seattle metro area the first 9 months of the year, compared to the same period last year. The single family permit decline is led by Snohomish County, which is down 25 percent, followed by Pierce County, which is down 14 percent. Within the three-county metro area, the only county to see a slight increase in single family permits through September 2018 was King County, where permits were up four percent.

Meanwhile, multifamily permits are up three percent throughout the metro area. While King County saw a nine percent decline in multifamily permits during the first three quarters of 2018, Snohomish County has experienced an 80 percent increase in multifamily permit activity, and Pierce County is up 35 percent.

The Builders' Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report: