A series of zoning amendments aimed at increasing the stock of affordable housing in Aquinnah — especially rental housing — will come before voters at their annual town meeting next month.

The new rules would allow accessory apartments to be built for use as affordable year-round rentals, with restrictions on size and use. Another change would make the regulatory process more flexible when it comes to income qualifications for affordable housing.

In Aquinnah community housing is defined as housing for people earning more than 80 per cent of area median income. Under new definitions, people earning up to 120 per cent of the median income could qualify for affordable and community housing, but it would be up to the affordable housing committee to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to lower the threshold.

“Our feeling was, on the planning board side, that we can’t guess or know what the need will be every year or every time a unit comes up,” said planning board chairman Peter Temple at a public hearing last week on the changes.

Following the lead of other Island towns, the planning board hopes to create a process for allowing accessory apartments for year-round use by a family member or caregiver.

An accessory apartment could stand alone or be attached to a primary residence, and could not exceed 600 square feet. The owner could be a seasonal or year-round resident and could occupy either structure, but both could not be rented at the same time.

The current bylaw prevents homeowners from leasing their houses to anyone for more than a year. The new rules would eliminate the restriction.

Another change would allow affordable two-family rental or owner-occupied units on lots as small as two acres. The current allowance applies only to single-family units. Restrictions would also apply. The two-family units would need to be affordable, or otherwise consist of an owner-occupied unit and another that is rented affordably or occupied year-round by a family member or caregiver.

The annual town meeting is May 10.

Voters will also be asked to a approve zoning changes that are part of an ongoing effort to make Aquinnah a Green Community, a special state deignation. The changes would allow large, ground-mounted solar arrays without a special permit, and also provide standards for a solar array with at least 250 kilowatts of capacity at the town landfill. A 50-kilowatt array at the landfill came online in 2012.

The state designation is expected to open the door to funding through the Department of Energy Resources. Last year the town selectmen adopted policies that prohibit idling vehicles for extended periods and require the town to purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles (heavy-duty trucks are exempt). Remaining criteria include a plan to reduce energy costs for new construction and a plan to reduce municipal energy use by 20 per cent in five years.

Tisbury and West Tisbury were named Green Communities in 2012 by Gov. Deval Patrick.