By Margo Greenman, 425 Business

With inventory down 25 percent, home values and rents both increasing, and more people moving to the region, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties said the local housing market is struggling with a housing affordability crisis.

"Despite efforts to add more housing, including a rise in apartment home construction in the region, the demand for housing has significantly outpaced supply," Master Builders Association executive director Shannon Affholter said in a press release. "Lack of buildable land and other barriers to new home construction have contributed significantly to escalating housing costs and a housing supply shortage in King and Snohomish counties. Unfortunately, this is making it harder for families and workers to find attainable housing near job centers."

On December 11, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)-supported Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act. The legislation focuses on reforming federal permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act with the goal of reducing delays and uncertainty that can slow housing and infrastructure projects.

The vote moves the bill to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers will continue debating how to balance environmental protections with the need to build homes and infrastructure more efficiently.

What the PERMIT Act Does

The PERMIT Act is intended to streamline environmental permitting and reduce regulatory uncertainty that builders and infrastructure providers say contributes to rising costs and project delays. Key provisions of the bill include:

• Clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction by redefining “waters of the United States” and codifying exclusions for features such as waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams, and groundwater.

• Extending and improving nationwide permits to provide longer, more predictable authorization timelines.

• Establishing limits on judicial review timelines to reduce prolonged litigation and project delays.

• Addressing backlogs and inefficiencies in the issuance of jurisdictional determinations.

• Restoring a clearer pathway for states to assume control of their own wetlands permitting programs.

Lawmakers also adopted an NAHB-supported amendment on the House floor that would reduce compensatory mitigation costs through targeted, commonsense reforms. The amendment is intended to maintain environmental protections while improving predictability and supporting economic growth.

Supporters argue these reforms will create regulatory certainty, lower development costs, and help accelerate housing and infrastructure production at a time of acute national need.

What Happens Next

With House passage secured, the PERMIT Act now moves to the U.S. Senate, where its future remains uncertain. The legislation is expected to be part of a broader debate over federal permitting reform, infrastructure delivery, and housing affordability. For homebuilders and policymakers focused on reducing costs and delays, the outcome could have meaningful implications for how quickly new housing and infrastructure projects can move from proposal to construction.

For more details, view the NAHB blog or contact Dylan Sluder, State Government Affairs Manager, at MBAKS via 425.451.7920 for additional information.

Santa steps in for Shannon this week to wish all of our members happy holidays and remind everyone the MBA Housing Center will be closed from noon on December 23 until 8 a.m. January 3.

Please be advised that staff will also be off during this time.