VA adaptive housing grants can pay to remodel a veteran's home so they can stay in it safely as they age. The VA runs three separate programs: Specially Adapted Housing (SAH), Special Home Adaptation (SHA), and Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA). Each has its own purpose, its own dollar limit, and its own application form, and a veteran can sometimes use more than one.
This guide explains what each grant covers, the 2026 maximum amounts, who qualifies, and exactly which VA form to file.
In This Guide
- Key Takeaways
- Specially Adapted Housing (SAH)
- Special Home Adaptation (SHA)
- Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA)
- 2026 Grant Maximums
- Who Qualifies
- How to Apply
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Learn More
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH)
The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant is the VA's largest home-modification benefit. It helps veterans and service members with the most serious qualifying service-connected disabilities build, buy, or remodel an adapted home, or pay down the mortgage on an already-adapted home they own.
The FY2026 maximum is up to $126,526. This is a lifetime grant, and the figure adjusts each VA fiscal year based on construction cost indices, so the amount you see may change in a future year.
SAH is designed for the kinds of severe disabilities that make a standard home unusable: loss or loss of use of both lower extremities, blindness in both eyes combined with loss or loss of use of one extremity, certain severe burns, and similar conditions. For these veterans, the grant can fund the structural changes, such as a fully accessible bathroom or a barrier-free floor plan, that make independent living possible.
Not sure whether a parent's disability qualifies for SAH? Chat with Brevy to talk through the options before you file.
Special Home Adaptation (SHA)
The Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant is a smaller benefit for veterans and service members with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities. It helps them adapt or buy a home, which can be their own home or a home owned by a family member, so it accommodates the disability.
The FY2026 maximum is up to $25,350. Like SAH, this is a lifetime maximum that adjusts each VA fiscal year based on construction cost indices.
SHA covers disabilities such as loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, and certain respiratory or breathing injuries. A veteran cannot receive both an SAH and an SHA grant; the VA assigns the grant that matches the qualifying disability.
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA)
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) is different from SAH and SHA. It is a VA health-care benefit rather than a disability-housing grant, and it pays for medically necessary improvements and structural alterations to a veteran's primary residence.
Typical HISA projects include roll-in showers, widening doorways, making kitchen or bathroom sinks and counters accessible, permanent ramping for entrance or driveway access, and plumbing or electrical changes needed to run home medical equipment.
The most important difference is who can use it. HISA is available for both service-connected and non-service-connected conditions. The lifetime maximum is $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected disability (or a non-service-connected disability when the veteran has a 50% or higher service-connected rating) and $2,000 for veterans whose qualifying condition is non-service-connected only. These HISA caps are statutory and are not adjusted annually. HISA can also be used alongside an SAH or SHA grant.
Need a smaller modification, like a roll-in shower or a ramp? Chat with Brevy about whether HISA fits your situation.
2026 Grant Maximums
The table below shows the FY2026 maximums for each program. The SAH, SHA, and Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) figures adjust each VA fiscal year (October 1 through September 30) based on construction cost indices, so re-verify them before the FY2027 amounts publish. The HISA caps are statutory and do not change annually.
| Grant | 2026 Maximum |
|---|---|
| Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) | Up to $126,526 |
| Special Home Adaptation (SHA) | Up to $25,350 |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), SAH-eligible | Up to $50,961 |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), SHA-eligible | Up to $9,100 |
| HISA, service-connected (lifetime) | $6,800 |
| HISA, non-service-connected (lifetime) | $2,000 |
The Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant lets an eligible SAH or SHA veteran adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in. The TRA amount is capped within the veteran's SAH or SHA lifetime maximum.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility depends on which grant you are seeking.
- SAH is for veterans and service members with the most serious qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss or loss of use of both lower extremities, blindness in both eyes combined with loss or loss of use of one extremity, or certain severe burns.
- SHA is for veterans and service members with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain respiratory or breathing injuries.
- HISA is for veterans who need a medically necessary modification to their primary residence, and it is available for both service-connected and non-service-connected conditions.
Because HISA covers non-service-connected conditions too, it is often the only one of the three grants available to a veteran whose mobility needs come from aging or illness rather than a service injury.
How to Apply
You apply for SAH and SHA with VA Form 26-4555, the Application in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant. The VA reviews the veteran's qualifying disability and assigns the grant that fits.
You apply for HISA with VA Form 10-0103, submitted along with a VA physician's prescription, cost estimates, and a photo of the area to be modified. Because HISA is a health-care benefit, the application runs through the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service rather than the housing-grant office.
Unsure which form to file? Chat with Brevy to match the right grant to your veteran's situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. HISA can be used alongside an SAH or SHA grant. They serve different purposes: SAH and SHA fund larger adaptations to an owned or family home for serious service-connected disabilities, while HISA covers medically necessary alterations to a primary residence and is available for both service-connected and non-service-connected conditions.
For SAH and SHA, yes. Both require a qualifying service-connected disability. HISA is the exception: it is available for both service-connected and non-service-connected conditions, with a lifetime cap of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the situation.
The SAH, SHA, and TRA maximums adjust each VA fiscal year based on construction cost indices, so they can change after September 30, 2026. The HISA lifetime caps of $6,800 and $2,000 are statutory and are not adjusted annually.
A TRA grant lets an eligible SAH or SHA veteran adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in. The FY2026 amount is up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible veterans and up to $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans, capped within the veteran's SAH or SHA lifetime maximum.
Learn More
- VA Pension for Wartime Veterans
- VA Health Care Enrollment and Priority Groups
- Disability Housing Grants for Veterans (VA.gov)
- Home Improvements and Structural Alterations, HISA (VA.gov)
Related Brevy guides:
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