New Housing Research Center spotlights homebuilding issues

by Janelle Guthrie Communications Director

Representing more than 2,500 builders in Washington, BIAW has direct knowledge of the costs and challenges facing the home building industry in our state.

The association has shared its knowledge with policymakers for years, but now we’ve made it available in one easy-to-reference location. Introducing BIAW’s Home Building Research Center.

New research updated regularly

BIAW’s Government Affairs team does more than advocate on behalf of the home building industry. The team also researches, develops reports and regularly updates policy information to help decision-makers better understand how and why home building gets so expensive.

Check out BIAW’s Housing Facts to learn at-a-glance: n How the costs of zoning, prescriptive energy codes and permit delays drive up home prices n How many homes we need to meet current demand n How housing prices affect the average family in Washington

Over the last year, BIAW’s Policy and Research Manager Andrea Smith, MPA, has produced in-depth reports on all these issues, as well as how the rising cost of rent pushes people further and further away from the American dream of home ownership.

National data localized

At the national level, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has a team of economists providing in-depth research on a variety of topics. NAHB’s Eye on Housing blog shares housing data at the national level: eyeonhousing.org

Smith regularly localizes those reports to help state and local policymakers learn about this data at the city and county levels in Washington.

NAHB has also provided insights into the economic impact of home building in Washington.

You can find the following in the BIAW Research Center: n Income, jobs and taxes generated n Comparing costs to revenue for state and local governments

New research underway

Smith regularly receives requests for new research. Currently, she is breaking down the costs of building a new home from land development and permitting to labor, materials and code compliance.

If you have an idea for a new research project you’d like her to consider, please reach out at (360) 352-7800 x 114 or andreas@biaw.com.