By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

December 2019 permit numbers show the Seattle metro area ended the year with a modest 3% decline in single-family permits and a 5% drop in multifamily permits compared to 2018. The overall decline for the metro area was driven by King County, which ended the year with 14% fewer single-family permits. However, Snohomish County saw an 11% uptick in single-family permits, and Pierce County was up 3%. For multifamily permits, the year-end decline for the metro area was driven by Pierce County, which saw permits drop 43%. Meanwhile, multifamily permits rose 13% in Snohomish County and remained flat in King County.

The Builder's 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:

Contact: data@mbaks.com

While our local inventory is rising, we are still the lowest in Washington State, with the state average at 2.17. Months of inventory in June 2024 were Snohomish (1.37), King (1.94), and Pierce (2.00). As the inventory grows, it is evident that mortgage rates are a large player in affordability regarding housing market worries.

Read the full July Builders Bulletin:

By Mike Pattison, Snohomish County Manager

In December 2016, the Washington state Supreme Court struck a blow to vesting rights when it ruled that newly adopted stormwater regulations do not vest. The Court let stand a window for certain projects to remain vested. The new stormwater regulations will apply to all applications submitted after July 1, 2015 and projects approved prior to July 1, 2015 which have not started construction by June 30, 2020.

The case, Snohomish County, et al. v. Pollution Control Hearings Board, will severely impact applications that have been submitted to a jurisdiction but are not yet approved. The opinion eliminates vesting for environmental regulations mandated by the state, including stormwater.

An editorial by MBA President Mike Walsh was recently published in The Herald discussing the case and explaining why vesting is so important to the homebuilding industry.

While there is no ability for local government to overcome the decision with local legislation, King and Snohomish counties are currently petitioning the Court to reconsider and clarify some of the opinion.

Further, there is a proposal before the Washington State Legislature, Senate Bill 5212, that would restore vesting rights.

For more information, contact Snohomish County Manager Mike Pattison, 425.460.8203.