By Mike Richards, The Lens News

Washington homebuilders and realtors are praising a new law that would clarify what land is considered buildable under Growth Management Act (GMA) comprehensive plan updates—a move stakeholders say will help address housing inventory shortages across Washington.

The Senate approved SB 5254 in a 47-2 vote on June 29. On the same day, the bill passed the House in a 85-9 vote, with four excused. On July 6, Governor Jay Inslee signed the measure into law.

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The Washington State Office of Financial Management has released its April 1 official population estimates of all cities and towns of the state, showing continued strong population growth. According to the annual estimates, the state’s population grew by 118,840 persons, a 1.6 % increase over the past year. The Puget Sound region’s population as of April 1, 2019 was 4,198,400. You’ll find the breakdown by county in this month’s Builders Bulletin.

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:

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

New data from the Puget Sound Regional Council show our four-county region (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties) has added more than 464,000 jobs since 2010. That works out to over 2.75 jobs for every housing unit constructed during this period.

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: