An Act relative to 40B rental and sales eligibility

This bill allows local zoning boards and regional planning councils in Massachusetts to set higher income limits for affordable housing than the state or federal guidelines require. Specifically, it enables these local entities to expand eligibility for affordable rentals and sales to include households earning up to 90% of the area median income and to count families as cost-burdened if they spend 35% of their income on housing instead of the usual 30%. The legislation directly affects municipalities and regional planning councils by giving them the authority to adjust these standards to better meet local equity concerns.