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.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

Seattle Metro Permit Volume Drops in Q1 2025

New permit data show a 33% decline in permits in the Seattle metro area in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. While single family permits saw a modest increase in King and Pierce counties through March of this year, they fell 43% in Snohomish County. Multifamily permits were down 46% across our metro area during Q1 2025 compared to last year, with the biggest decline in King County. Pierce County was the only county to see an increase in multifamily permits during the first quarter.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Sharon Couts
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
425.499.1723

Bellevue, Wash—June 22, 2016—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties and Regence BlueShield will volunteer for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County's "La Fortuna" townhome community in Renton, a 3-Star Built Green® property. Volunteers will focus on unmasking floors, installing appliances, painting, and cleaning in preparation for the homeowner dedication on July 16, 2016. At that time, eight low-income families will receive the keys to their new homes and a better future.

La Fortuna residents will include U.S. military veterans, Americans who were once refugees from war-torn countries, and others who came to our region in search of a better life for their families. The future homeowners have worked together as friends and neighbors to help build and create this community.

Habitat for Humanity's vision of creating "a world where everyone has a decent place to live" is shared by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties and Regence BlueShield. This vision, and the idea that affordable housing should be accessible to all families—including low-income, middle class, and those struggling with homelessness—has led Regence and the MBA to form ongoing partnerships with this organization.

Schedule—Wednesday, June 22, 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 8:45 a.m.: Check-in. Distribute protective equipment.
• 9:00 a.m.: Safety orientation, description of work assignments.
• 9:15 a.m.: Work under the instruction of Habitat site staff.
• 12:45 p.m.: Cleanup
• Location: Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County's La Fortuna New Construction community in Renton, 17286 127th Ave. SE, Renton, WA 98058

About Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County

Habitat for Humanity SKC is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit housing organization that brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Habitat SKC is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing through constructing, renovating, and preserving affordable homes, and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. Habitat SKC builds more than houses—we transform local communities. Habitat SKC has built renovated or repaired more than 450 homes for local families in need. For more information or to get involved, visit habitatskc.org or follow us on facebook.com/habitatskc or twitter.com/habitatskc.

About Regence BlueShield

Regence BlueShield has been serving Washingtonians in select counties for nearly a century and now provides more than 1.1 million members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldwa or twitter.com/regencewa.

About the Master Builders Association

Founded in 1909, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA) has grown to become the largest residential homebuilders association in the United States. With 2,800 member companies, the association is dedicated to membership value, government advocacy, financial stewardship, and promoting the residential building industry in the Puget Sound region. The association and its members address many of the concerns and issues affecting the residential housing industry. If you are looking to buy, build, remodel, or maintain your home, trust MBA for industry professional referrals and practical information to get the job done. mbaks.com

###