KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant provides up to $126,526 in FY 2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities — no repayment required.
- A related program, the Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant, provides up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying hand, burn, or respiratory disabilities.
- Both grants can be used up to 6 times over your lifetime — you don’t have to spend the full amount at once.
- Veterans temporarily living in a family member’s home may qualify for a Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant of up to $50,961 to modify that home.
- The HISA grant (up to $6,800) is a separate, more broadly accessible VA grant for medically necessary modifications available to veterans with any service-connected disability rating.
- All four programs are grants — not loans. There is nothing to repay.
- What Is the SAH Grant?
- SAH Grant Eligibility
- Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant
- Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant
- HISA Grant: The More Accessible Option
- What These Grants Can Pay For
- How to Apply
- Stacking Grants: SAH, HISA, USDA, and Local Programs
- Find a Contractor and Additional Programs
- Frequently Asked Questions
Most veterans know about the VA home loan. Far fewer know about the VA’s housing grants — money the VA provides to veterans with service-connected disabilities to buy, build, or modify a home so they can live more independently. Unlike a loan, a grant doesn’t have to be repaid. And unlike many government benefit programs, the amounts involved are substantial: up to $126,526 in a single fiscal year for the most severely disabled veterans.
This guide covers every VA housing grant program — SAH, SHA, TRA, and HISA — including eligibility requirements, what the money can cover, how to apply, and how to combine these grants with other federal and local programs to maximize your total benefit.
What Is the SAH Grant?
The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant is a VA benefit for veterans and service members with severe service-connected disabilities that affect mobility. It provides funding — up to $126,526 in fiscal year 2026 — to buy, build, or modify a permanent home to accommodate the veteran’s disability.
TRENDING: See Today’s VA Loan Rates
The key distinctions that set the SAH grant apart from other housing assistance:
- It’s a grant, not a loan. There is no repayment obligation whatsoever.
- It can be used across multiple transactions. Veterans can use their SAH grant up to six times over their lifetime. You don’t have to spend the full amount at once — remaining funds stay available for future use.
- The annual maximum may increase. The VA adjusts the maximum grant amount annually based on construction cost changes. The amount in effect during the last year you use the grant is the maximum available to you.
- It covers purchase, construction, or modification. Whether you’re buying an accessible home, building from the ground up with adaptive features, or renovating an existing home, the SAH grant can apply.
SAH Grant Eligibility
To qualify for an SAH grant, you must meet two requirements: you own or will own the home being adapted, and you have a qualifying service-connected disability. The VA defines qualifying disabilities for the SAH program as:
- Loss, or loss of use, of more than one limb
- Loss, or loss of use, of a lower leg along with the residual (lasting) effects of an organic disease or injury
- Blindness in both eyes, with 20/200 visual acuity or less
- Certain severe burns
- Loss, or loss of use, of one lower extremity (foot or leg) after September 11, 2001, where the loss makes it impossible to balance or walk without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair
A note on the post-9/11 single-extremity provision: Congress limits this category to 120 veterans per fiscal year (October 1 through September 30). If you qualify but the cap has been reached for the current year, you can still receive the benefit in a future year.
The home must be your permanent residence — a home you plan to live in for the long term. The SAH grant cannot be used for investment properties or vacation homes.
Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant
The Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant is a parallel program for veterans with a different set of qualifying disabilities. In FY 2026, the SHA grant maximum is $25,350.
Qualifying disabilities for the SHA grant include:
- Loss, or loss of use, of both hands
- Certain severe burns
- Certain respiratory or breathing injuries
A key difference from the SAH program: for the SHA grant, the home can be owned by the veteran or a family member. This provides additional flexibility — if a veteran is living with family, the SHA grant can fund modifications to the family member’s home rather than requiring the veteran to own the property independently.
Like the SAH grant, the SHA grant can be used up to six times over the veteran’s lifetime and doesn’t require the full amount to be spent at once. The VA determines which grant a veteran qualifies for based on the nature of their disability — veterans apply using the same form for both programs.
Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant
The Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant is designed for veterans who are living temporarily in a family member’s home — not their own permanent residence — and need that home modified to meet their disability-related needs.
TRENDING: See Today’s VA Loan Rates
TRA grant maximums in FY 2026:
- $50,961 if you qualify for an SAH grant
- $9,100 if you qualify for an SHA grant
To be eligible for the TRA grant, you must already qualify for either the SAH or SHA program — the TRA is an extension of those programs, not a standalone benefit. The family member does not need to own the home outright; however, the modifications must be for a temporary living arrangement, and you don’t need to own the property being modified.
TRA grants are particularly useful during the transition period when a veteran has returned from care or rehabilitation and is staying with family while permanent accessible housing is being arranged, built, or purchased.
HISA Grant: The More Accessible Option
The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is a separate VA program that deserves attention alongside SAH and SHA — because it has a much lower eligibility bar.
While SAH and SHA require specific severe disabilities, the HISA grant is available to veterans with any service-connected disability rating. This makes it accessible to a far broader population of veterans. The grant covers medically necessary home modifications and provides up to $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected condition, or up to $2,000 for veterans whose modification need is not related to a service-connected disability.
HISA-covered improvements typically include:
- Roll-in showers and accessible bathing facilities
- Grab bars and safety rails
- Ramps and entrance modifications
- Widened doorways
- Accessible bathroom fixtures
- Other structural changes medically necessary for the veteran’s condition
Unlike SAH and SHA, the HISA grant requires a prescription from a VA physician specifying the modification needed and the medical justification. This is the paperwork that most veterans find trips them up — but it’s straightforward if your VA care team is engaged. Talk to your VA primary care provider or physiatrist before applying.
Veterans who don’t qualify for SAH or SHA should look at HISA first. Veterans who do qualify for SAH or SHA can potentially use both programs for different types of modifications.
Want updates when benefit rates change?
Join thousands of service members who get our free weekly briefing.
What These Grants Can Pay For
VA housing grants are specifically intended to fund adaptations that allow veterans with disabilities to live more independently. Common eligible uses include:
- Structural modifications: Widening doorways and hallways, lowering thresholds, installing zero-step entrances
- Bathroom accessibility: Roll-in showers, roll-under vanities, accessible toilets, grab bars, handheld showerheads
- Mobility access: Exterior and interior ramps, stairlifts, platform lifts, driveway modifications
- Kitchen adaptations: Lowered countertops, accessible appliance placement, under-counter clearance
- Electrical and safety: Lever door handles, rocker light switches, emergency alert systems
- Building an adapted home: SAH and SHA funds can apply toward the construction of an accessible home built to meet the veteran’s specific needs
- Purchase of an adapted home: If a home is already constructed with accessible features, grant funds can help cover the purchase
The VA provides a detailed guide — A Guide for Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) and Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Projects — that covers design standards, construction requirements, and eligible modifications in depth.
VA HOUSING GRANTS + LOCAL PROGRAMS
Find Out Which Programs Apply to Your Home
Answer a few questions and we’ll show you every grant and assistance program you may qualify for — VA, USDA, HUD, and local — plus connect you with a contractor who can help.
How to Apply
Applying for SAH, SHA, and TRA grants is done through a single application form: VA Form 26-4555. You can apply online at VA.gov, by mail to your VA regional loan center, or in person at a VA regional office.
The application process typically works as follows:
- Submit VA Form 26-4555. The VA reviews your service-connected disability rating and determines which grant(s) you qualify for.
- VA approves eligibility and assigns a VA representative. Once approved, a VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) agent is assigned to work with you. This agent helps plan the project, review construction plans, and ensure the work meets VA requirements.
- Select a contractor and finalize plans. Your SAH agent reviews the proposed work. The VA does not select the contractor for you — you work with your chosen contractor while the agent ensures the project meets program requirements.
- Construction or purchase proceeds. Funds are typically disbursed in stages tied to construction milestones or at closing for a purchase.
For the HISA grant, the process is slightly different. You apply through your VA regional office with documentation that includes a VA physician’s prescription for the modification, two contractor cost estimates, and evidence of home ownership. Your regional office reviews and approves the application before work begins.
Veterans can check application status through VA.gov’s claim status tool.
Stacking Grants: SAH, HISA, USDA, and Local Programs
One of the most underutilized strategies in veteran home modification planning is combining multiple grant programs. These programs are not always mutually exclusive — in many cases, veterans can draw from several sources to cover different types of work or different thresholds of need.
SAH + HISA: A veteran who qualifies for SAH may also be able to use HISA funds for specific medically necessary modifications. Since HISA requires a physician prescription tied to medical necessity and SAH covers broader construction, the two can potentially cover different scopes of work.
USDA Section 504: For veterans in rural areas who are 62 or older with very low income (at or below 50% of area median income), the USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program offers grants up to $10,000 for health and safety repairs including accessibility modifications. This program is administered separately from VA grants and covers a different scope of repairs — roofing, HVAC, structural safety — that VA grants may not address.
HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): Many counties and cities administer HUD CDBG funds as local home repair grant programs. These are frequently targeted at veterans and low-income homeowners. Amounts and availability vary significantly by jurisdiction — contact your local housing department directly and ask specifically about home repair assistance programs for veterans.
The practical challenge with stacking is that each program has different application channels, timelines, and documentation requirements. A contractor experienced with veteran housing programs can help navigate which applications to pursue simultaneously versus sequentially.
VA HOUSING GRANTS + LOCAL PROGRAMS
Find Out Which Programs Apply to Your Home
Answer a few questions and we’ll show you every grant and assistance program you may qualify for — VA, USDA, HUD, and local — plus connect you with a contractor who can help.
Find a Contractor and Additional Programs
Knowing you’re eligible for a grant and actually getting the work done are two different things. The VA approves your grant eligibility — but finding a qualified contractor, coordinating the project, and identifying additional programs that may stack on top of your VA benefit are tasks that fall to you.
Grants.USMilitary.org is designed to help veterans at exactly this stage. Answer a short questionnaire about your disability rating, income, age, and home ownership status, and the tool surfaces every applicable grant program for your profile — VA grants, USDA programs, HUD-funded local programs, and more — along with a local contractor connection. Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating typically see SAH, SHA, and HISA programs surfaced simultaneously, often totaling over $150,000 in potential grant value across programs.
A few things to know before you connect with a contractor:
- Contractors are not automatically enrolled in VA grant programs. Ask specifically whether they have experience completing VA SAH or HISA projects and working with VA SAH agents.
- For VA grants (SAH, SHA, HISA), you initiate the application directly with the VA — the contractor doesn’t do this on your behalf.
- Get at least two contractor estimates. For HISA in particular, two estimates are required as part of the VA application.
- For local programs like CDBG, contact your county housing department directly — availability and amounts vary significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are VA housing adaptation grants, but they serve veterans with different qualifying disabilities. The SAH (Specially Adapted Housing) grant — up to $126,526 — is for veterans with severe mobility disabilities including limb loss, certain burns, or blindness. The SHA (Special Housing Adaptation) grant — up to $25,350 — is for veterans with loss of both hands, certain severe burns, or respiratory injuries. The VA determines which applies based on your specific disability when you submit VA Form 26-4555.
Not necessarily — the VA evaluates SAH eligibility based on the nature of your service-connected disability, not purely the percentage rating. A veteran with a qualifying disability (such as loss of use of a lower extremity) may qualify even if their combined rating is below 100%. That said, the qualifying conditions are specific and severe. Review the eligibility criteria above and contact your regional VA office or a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) to confirm your eligibility before applying.
Not under the SAH program for a permanent residence — SAH requires that you own or will own the home. However, if you’re living temporarily in a family member’s home, the Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant covers modification of a family member’s home without an ownership requirement on your part. The SHA program also allows the home to be owned by a family member rather than the veteran.
Yes. Both SAH and SHA grants can be used up to six times over your lifetime. You don’t need to use the full amount at once — unused funds remain available for future use. The maximum amount may be adjusted annually by the VA based on construction costs; the amount in effect during your last year of use is the ceiling.
Look at the HISA grant first. It’s available to veterans with any service-connected disability rating and provides up to $6,800 for medically necessary modifications. Unlike SAH and SHA, it doesn’t require a specific type of severe disability — just a VA physician’s prescription specifying the modification and its medical necessity. Beyond HISA, check USDA Section 504 (if rural and income-eligible) and your local HUD CDBG program through your county housing department.
Processing times vary. Once VA Form 26-4555 is submitted, the VA reviews your service-connected disability record to confirm eligibility — this stage can take several weeks to a few months depending on regional office workloads. Once approved, a VA SAH agent is assigned and the project planning process begins. More complex construction projects take longer than modifications to an existing home. Beginning the application process as early as possible — before you’ve selected a property or finalized renovation plans — is advisable.
This article is provided by USMilitary.org, an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with the Department of Defense, VA, or any government agency. For official SAH grant information and to apply, visit VA.gov.
