In another interesting move, Asheville City Council approved a $500,000 annual fund for providing water system infrastructure to developers of affordable housing. A matrix was set up for screening applicants. Both Brownie Newman and Robin Cape advocated altering the point system to make proximity to transit weigh more heavily. Cape would have preferred to see more green building requirements. Newman, however, applauded this creative effort, “to encourage the kinds of development we want to see in Asheville.”

Holly Jones was particularly excited to approve the plan because she keeps hearing from developers that the main reason they don’t pursue affordable housing is the expense. The city is now subsidizing the expense of water system connections, demonstrating that government is listening.

Not only is it listening, but it is evidently also the source of and solution to all our problems.