Each election cycle, our Affordable Housing Council (AHC) interviews candidates at the city, county, and state levels to determine their degree of support for housing.

The following candidates have received the AHC endorsement for the 2024 General Election.

Your vote in support of AHC-endorsed candidates will go a long way toward affecting the outcome of these critical races.

For dropbox locations, ballot questions, and more, visit King County Elections or Snohomish County Elections.

Endorsements as of May 30, 2024.

When someone asks you to think big, what is your first thought? For some of us, the answer would be, “Yeah, right.” 

But think about this: We don't have to ask kids to think big. It's automatic. They seem to have the carefree lifestyle that allows them all the time they need to think and dream. And, they also have this marvelous sense of self-confidence mixed with a who cares attitude. Blurting out the desire to be an astronaut or a fireman or the most powerful woman on Wall Street seems to come naturally—and frequently! 

Then, somewhere along the way, we age and start adulting. We learn how to fit into the system. How to memorize (versus think) to pass the exam.

On October 4, we won't return to kid-like blurting. However, we will take the time to think big. 

Why? 

Because thinking big can unlock our full potential. 

You will be inspired and walk away with the tools to help you think big. Let’s be honest—some of you are rusty at dreaming about your future. And some of you have developed the bad habit of self-sabotage and standing in your own way. 

Action comes from within. You yourself must do the work, take the next steps, and set yourself free to live your best life. And a little inspiration goes a long way. 

Tap into that inspiration. Spend one day with other powerful individuals at this year’s Professional Women in Building Conference October 4 and intentionally begin that bigger life for yourself on October 5.

I'll see you there!

TheDenise
TheDenise.com

MBAKS held its annual Housing Solution Breakfast on October 17, gathering elected officials, industry leaders, city staff and housing partners to elevate the importance of successful middle housing implementation. The event emphasized the partnership it will take to do it right. We used the program to strengthen our messaging on middle housing policy and acknowledge the hard work ahead for many cities.

This year we were joined by 140 guests with over 35 public officials in attendance. The program opened with a video featuring MBAKS homebuilder members and Redmond Mayor Angela Birney. The video highlights the importance of our shared work implementing House Bill 1110 at the local level.

Our Keynote speaker, Morgan Shook, Senior Policy Analyst and Partner at ECONorthwest, provided an overview of Oregon’s middle housing efforts, what’s working and what’s not. Key takeaways include:

• Graduated floor area ratio (FAR) limits encourage the development of more small units.
• Removing minimum parking requirements is another way to facilitate middle housing.
• Local governments should use caution when regulating frontage improvements or other infrastructure upgrades. These costs are substantial and impact financial feasibility, creating an unsurmountable barrier and resulting in fewer homes.
• View the full slide presentation here.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from Josh Brown, Executive Director at Puget Sound Regional Council and Cathy MacCaul, Advocacy Director at AARP of Washington. Each brought their unique perspective and emphasized why this work is so important for meeting our region’s housing needs.

To learn more about MBAKS’ efforts on Middle Housing implementation, please see MBAKS Middle Housing Implementation Plan.

And don’t forget to read about middle housing in the news! MBAKS and members partnered to publish three editorials this year in support of successful middle housing implementation. Read more here.