By Shannon Affholter, The Everett Herald

Despite numerous legislative efforts to find a permanent and balanced solution to address the Washington state Supreme Court's Hirst decision, lawmakers in Olympia remain deadlocked on the issue. Unfortunately, the legislature adjourned on Thursday without reaching an agreement.

The 2016 Hirst decision has effectively halted many people from building their homes in areas that depend on well water. The ruling has created a great deal of uncertainty for counties, rural communities, builders, and families across the state. As legislators leave town, the hardship on affected property owners will continue without being resolved.

Painting a Better Tomorrow is a one-day experience unlike any other. Join us Nov. 10 to help us paint and change someone’s life forever—maybe even your own.

Few things feel better than closing the books on a successful project. Especially one fueled by kindness and compassion.

Whatever your designation in the world of residential homebuilding, you have a calling. Sometimes that calling extends beyond the job site or office. Because, at the end of the day, our collective job is to provide housing for the millions of people who make the Puget Sound region home.

Shoreline Veterans Center

We are the lucky ones. We get to give people a place they can call their very own. Sometimes this space is temporary or shared with others. But it doesn’t make it any less theirs. Take the folks who reside at the Shoreline Veterans Center, a Compass Housing Alliance property. The center is a 25-bed facility for honorably discharged homeless veterans who seek rehabilitation from drug, alcohol, or other issues. The goal of the center and its internal program is to help residents resolve their issues and learn to live on their own as contributing citizens to their communities. Upon graduation from the two-year program, veterans are then moved into their own apartment, but return to the center for ongoing counseling.

This year, MBAKS is proud to partner with the Veterans Center for Painting a Better Tomorrow 2018. Painting a Better Tomorrow, or PBT, is an annual one-day service event where association members and community volunteers add fresh paint to the walls and surfaces of a local nonprofit organization. This is where you come in. Even if you’re not a painter by trade, we want you to volunteer! There are plenty of tasks to keep you busy throughout the day and we can all but guarantee that you’ll have a fantastic time helping out a few of our well-deserving neighbors in need.

Volunteer—Just Do It!

Pull together a team of co-workers, friends, or family—or come as an individual and make some new friends and memories! MBAKS provides all the supplies for the event, including breakfast snacks and lunch, as well as our ever-popular, totally stylish PBT t-shirt so you look good while doing good. When you close the books on this project, your life, and those of the Shoreline Veterans Center, will be forever brighter.

Contact Michell Filleau-Maas, 425.460.8232, today, right now, to volunteer.

Step Up With Sponsorship

Over the years, we've painted hundreds of thousands of square feet of service organizations' walls. That wouldn't be possible without the help of our generous sponsors. If your company is interested in sponsoring a fresh coat of paint for the Veterans Center this year, contact Business Development Manager Ty Coleman, 425.278.0222 by October 10.

Photo courtesy Alabastro Photography

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The latest Builder’s Bulletin includes annual population estimates recently released by the Office of Financial Management (OFM). According to OFM, the Puget Sound Region’s population as of April 1, 2018 was 4,134,660. Over the past year, the region added 67,860 people, which is down from last year but still strong.

The Builders' 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: