Panelists at Cascade Conference point to state regulations, permitting delays as key barriers to housing supply

Speakers at a Cascade Conference panel on housing supply said state regulations, permitting delays and rising construction costs are major obstacles to expanding affordable homeownership in Washington.

Representative April Connors, a House Republican floor leader and residential real estate professional, said homeownership builds generational wealth and warned that recent price increases are pricing out first‑time buyers. "In the Tri‑Cities alone, the average price of a home there is $450,000 where in Washington state it's $650,000," Connors said, arguing those trends leave many young families unable to buy.

Representative Deb Manjarres, who cited the state's Growth Management Act as a central constraint, said "the Growth Management Act was really a takeover of all private property rights" and argued layered regulations and state energy codes have increased the cost of building. Manjarres said those rules, combined with impact fees and permitting, add tens of thousands of dollars per house.

Neil Stregi, vice president of the Washington Roundtable, framed the problem in market terms, saying permitting timelines and unpredictability make it difficult to deploy private capital: "The harder you make it to deploy the capital, the longer it takes... the less likely that people are to do it."

Vermont Lieutenant Governor John Rogers described similar pressures in a smaller‑market state: he said materials and labor cost spikes since COVID, the growth of second‑home and short‑term rental purchases, and a depleted trades workforce have limited supply, and urged investments in vocational training to rebuild a construction pipeline.

Panelists differed on remedies. Several urged rolling back or reforming state‑level regulations that they said limit land supply and raise costs; others emphasized making permitting faster, more predictable and more affordable so developers can move from proposal to construction. On one proposal often floated as a quick fix, multiple panelists said they are skeptical of 50‑year mortgages because extended terms increase interest paid and do little to build equity for homeowners.

On home energy scores and state energy codes, Representative Connors said she had opposed mandatory scoring measures for three years, arguing such scores could devalue older starter homes and require a new inspection workforce. She characterized recent energy code updates as adding substantially to costs and said implementation timelines have been delayed.

Several panelists framed the political dimensions clearly: Rogers urged civic engagement, telling listeners to "pay attention to who you're voting for," and Connors and others said elected officials’ choices on state policy and appointments shape building codes and permitting practices.

The panel did not produce formal recommendations or votes; instead speakers emphasized areas for further work, including regulatory reform, streamlined permitting and workforce training to expand entry‑level housing supply.