By Lynnwood Today

It’s now much easier for 16-year-old Remy Williams to get in and out of his house.

The Williams family was one of several families to have a ramp built for free by volunteers during the Master Builders Association’s annual Rampathon event. The event allows families to apply for a new ramp to be built leading into and out of their houses to help with mobility.

Remy Williams has cerebral palsy and primarily uses a wheelchair to get around. Before the ramp, one of his parents would need to first bring the wheelchair outside, then carry Remy down a set of stairs to get him outside.

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By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Data in the latest Builders Bulletin show a mixed bag for building permit activity in the first half of 2022. Multifamily permits in the Seattle Metro Area rose 20% in June, compared to the same period last year, led by King County where it was up 30%. Multifamily permit activity was relatively flat in Snohomish and Pierce counties.

Meanwhile, single family permits are down 17% across the Seattle Metro area as of June. Separately, the NAHB/Wells-Fargo Housing Market Index, which measures the confidence of single-family builders nationwide, has been falling amid higher interest rates and ongoing supply chain problems. Read NAHB’s latest press release on its builder confidence survey.

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By The Money Hour with Tina Mitchell

Leah Missik with Built Green has been the program manager for about two years. As the program manager, she has grown the certification, conducted a green home study that received national attention, and was nominated for a Northwest Emmy Award for a public-facing ad campaign on the advantages of living in a Built Green® home. Prior to Built Green, Leah worked as a Renewable Energy Analyst, supporting a small-scale renewables program where a utility bought back energy at a premium rate.  In The Money Hour segment today, Leah talks about the importance and benefits of green homes and Built Green.