Government Affairs

First-time home buyers increasingly priced out of Washington housing market Is Relief in Sight for Spokane Residents? (Click the photo above to view video) With a hot home buyer’s market and ongoing shortage of new construction, home builders are troubled by a growing crisis in housing: People in middle and lower-income brackets are increasingly priced…

City Council Doubles Down on Housing Crisis Denial It’s time for the City to take action on housing, not spark political wars It is disappointing to see city leaders again dodge an opportunity for real dialogue and solutions for hurting families in Spokane.  Instead of providing alternatives or explaining the council’s stance, Mr. Beggs’ rebuttal threw…

Housing Crisis Not Urgent? Why is Spokane’s Housing Crisis Not a Priority to City Council? Housing inventory in Spokane is at an all-time low. Home prices have increased 21% in Spokane County from April 2020 to April 2021. Energy codes that went into effect February 1 of this year added $20,000-$30,000 to the cost of a…

To Build Energy Efficient Homes We Need to Focus on Science, Not Ideology SPOKANE, Washington – With housing prices already squeezing many buyers out of the market, Washington State’s energy codes will shut the door on more buyers with ‘misguided energy ideologies’. Energy efficiency and carbon neutralization are important objectives that the whole community can…

Addressing Spokane County Building Permit Delays Over the last several weeks we have heard from many builders about permit processing delays in Spokane County. That’s why Spokane Home Builders Association leadership recently sat down with Spokane County Building and Planning Department officials to discuss issues and possible solutions to these delays as well as how…

Advocacy in Elections The Spokane Home Builders Association engages in advocacy in two primary ways. First, through the Government Affairs Committee we support industry-friendly legislation, monitor building, permit, and impact fee activity in various jurisdictions, and keep local government accountable to promote timely and efficient building and planning activity. Second, through the Political Action Committee…

Creating Attainable Housing Last week Spokane Home Builders Association staff and members participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Blitz Build 2020. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. This natural partnership revolves around a common value, that attainable housing plays a critical role in strong and…

The Cost of Needless Regulation Did you know that for every $1,000 in cost to the construction of a new home, 221 families in Spokane are priced out of building their own home? At Spokane Home Builders Association our mission is to create attainable housing options for our community. That is why we fight to…