SECTION 1. Chapter 40B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section at the end thereof:-

Section 31: Local Control Over Equity Concerns

Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 40B, municipal zoning boards and regional planning councils shall reserve the right to broaden income eligibility standards for affordable rental and purchase prices beyond what the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provides. This right shall include, but not be limited to, raising the upper area median income threshold to include up to ninety per cent of median income in the determination formula. Said entities may also reserve the right to raise the standard for affordable home sales prices by increasing the threshold of cost-burdened households from spending thirty per cent of household monthly income on housing expenses to spending thirty-five per cent of household monthly income on housing expenses.