As government regulations on housing shifts from energy efficiency cost-savings to carbon neutralization cost-increases, housing opportunities for families disappear.

Once again, bureaucrats in Olympia have made the decision to prioritize their own agenda- this time sacrificing homeownership for families in our community in the pursuit of activist environmental policies. And like so many times before, politicians have told the public one thing and legislated another.

Energy efficiency and carbon neutralization are important objectives that the whole community can get behind, builders & home buyers alike. However, the recent energy codes enacted on February 1st of this year have resulted in over 75,000 homebuyers statewide being priced out of the market, according to recent data released by the National Association of Home Builders. This carbon emission enforcement comes amidst a record housing shortage and skyrocketing home prices in an already volatile market.

Sadly, as high-paid lobbyists & interest groups in Olympia drive their agenda, the cost is not just felt by small businesses and workers in the construction industry, but also by families who can no longer afford to buy a new home.

The question at hand then becomes rather than adding a $30,000 tax to new homes in an already stressed market, wouldn’t it be better to incentivize homeowners toward the overarching goal? Isn’t it easier to enlist people in doing good rather than forcing them to adhere to burdensome over-regulation? And in all the debate that has taken place, the cost to the homebuyer has not been considered, and that is something that seems long overdue at this point.

Join Spokane Home Builders Association & Avista for the first in a series of conversations with local builders regarding the significance of regulations to the homebuyer, and the community as a whole. The Energy Code Impact Panel will air Wednesday, March 10th at 10:30AM. Please register for this online event at www.shba.com/events.

Topics discussed will include:
- How energy efficiency and building codes will impact the future of home buying in Washington state
- The immediate need to build faster, better, and more energy efficient housing
- The long-term effects the decisions being made in Olympia will have, not only on new homes in the area, but on the resale and rental markets at large.