Institutional Barriers : 16. Develop a new approach to meeting regional housing needs by passing legislation that provides financial rewards to those communities that effectively address this issue. 17. Advocate for a substantial increase in federal and state funding to counties and cities for low- and moderate-income rental housing and assistance to first-time home buyers. 18. Give contiguous communities an incentive to share resources to meet the region’s housing needs. 19. Educate the public about the real impacts of new affordable housing developments, and the potential benefits of higher density housing and mixed-use neighborhoods. Financial Resources : 20. Advocate for the establishment of innovative financing instruments such as location-efficient mortgages, that would assist people interested in buying housing close to public transit and residential services. 21. Establish a regional housing trust fund that would provide a new funding source for needed development throughout the region. Local Policies & Review Procedures : 22. Promote residential and mixed-use residential/commercial development on excess, vacant or under used industrial land. 23. Encourage additional residential development centered around transit facilities. 24. Encourage all communities to increase their housing densities, at least modestly. 25. Streamline permit-review procedures for projects that conform to the densities permitted in local plans. You can be social minded without being a socialist. Charles E. Wilson, Former Chairman, General Motors Corporation