Why not just console command yourself the local leader perk? It does the same thing
You have to assign trade routes. In the workshop menu press the trade route key (Q?) and it will ask what settlement you want to send it to. Note this only works for resources meaning materials, water, and food. NOT inventory items like weapons etc.
Protip: Make a web of routes. So say you send from Sanctuary to Red Rocket, then Red Rocket to Tenpines, then Tenpines to wherever. If one settlement is connected to another with a trade route the others will receive the benefits as well.
Now what should be modded is the actual inventory being shared too.
What I do is pick ONE settlement as the central hub, then, when I add a new settlement, I have one of the settlers from THERE, do the trade route thing. That way, I don't run out of people at sanctuary......