# VA home modification grants: SAH, SHA, HISA and TRA amounts and eligibility

> How much the VA's SAH, SHA, TRA and HISA home modification benefits pay, who qualifies for each, and what an application needs.

- URL: https://homeadaptguide.com/funding/va-home-modification-grants/
- Publisher: Home Adapt Guide (published by OmaScan Inc.)
- Author: Home Adapt Guide Team
- First published: 2026-10-15
- Last edited: 2026-10-15
- Applies to: United States
- Topic: VA housing grants

The VA's Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant pays up to $126,526 and its Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant up to $25,350, the fiscal year 2026 maximums listed on [va.gov](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/). Fiscal year 2027 began on October 1, 2026, but the VA had not published fiscal year 2027 amounts in the Federal Register as of October 15, 2026. The fiscal year 2026 notice appeared on November 18, 2025 and made its increase effective from October 1, 2025.

Those grants serve veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities. Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA), a separate Veterans Health Administration benefit, pays $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary changes such as a roll-in shower or a permanent ramp.

**Key takeaways**

- **SAH:** up to $126,526 (fiscal year 2026) to build, buy or adapt a home the veteran owns, for the most severe disabilities.
- **SHA:** up to $25,350 (fiscal year 2026) for loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns or certain respiratory injuries, in a home the veteran or a family member owns.
- **HISA:** a lifetime limit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on service connection, paid through VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service on a VA prescription.
- **Paperwork:** SAH and SHA use VA Form 26-4555. HISA uses VA Form 10-0103 plus a prescription, an itemized estimate and a color photo.

## How much are the VA SAH, SHA, TRA and HISA grants?

Under 38 U.S.C. 2102(e), the SAH and SHA maximums rise each October 1 with the Turner Building Cost Index (38 CFR 36.4411); the fiscal year 2026 increase was 3.87 percent. HISA limits are fixed in 38 U.S.C. 1717(a)(2) and do not change yearly.

| Benefit | Run by | Maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) | Veterans Benefits Administration | $126,526 total | Fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) |
| Special Home Adaptation (SHA) | Veterans Benefits Administration | $25,350 total | Fiscal year 2026 |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), SAH-eligible | Veterans Benefits Administration | $50,961 | Fiscal year 2026 |
| Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA), SHA-eligible | Veterans Benefits Administration | $9,100 | Fiscal year 2026 |
| HISA, service-connected or 50% rated | Veterans Health Administration | $6,800 lifetime | First applied on or after May 5, 2010 |
| HISA, all other eligible veterans | Veterans Health Administration | $2,000 lifetime | First applied on or after May 5, 2010 |

The table uses the va.gov figures. The [fiscal year 2026 Federal Register notice](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-18/html/2025-20047.htm) prints the SHA maximum as $25,349 and the SHA-eligible TRA maximum as $9,099, one dollar less than va.gov. Veterans who first applied for HISA before May 5, 2010 have lower limits: $4,100 and $1,200 (38 CFR 17.3105).

![Elevation drawing of a roll-in shower with a handheld showerhead on a slide bar, lever-type controls, a grab bar at 2 ft 9 in, a seat at 1 ft 8 in and a wheelchair beside it.](https://homeadaptguide.com/images/funding/va-sah-handbook-roll-in-shower.webp)

*A roll-in shower from the VA's design handbook for Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation projects (VA Pamphlet 26-13, revised June 2019). Source: [US Department of Veterans Affairs, Handbook for Design (VA Pamphlet 26-13)](https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/documents/docs/sah_handbook_for_design.pdf).*

## Who qualifies for a VA SAH or SHA grant?

Both grants require a qualifying service-connected disability. According to [va.gov](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/), the SAH grant covers:

- The loss, or loss of use, of more than one limb
- The loss, or loss of use, of a lower leg along with the residuals of an organic disease or injury
- Blindness in both eyes, with 20/200 visual acuity or less
- Certain severe burns
- The loss, or loss of use, of one lower extremity after September 11, 2001, so that the person cannot balance or walk without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair

Congress caps that last category at 120 approvals each fiscal year (38 U.S.C. 2101(a)(4)). For SAH, the veteran must own or will own the home.

The SHA grant covers the loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, and certain respiratory or breathing injuries. The veteran or a family member must own or will own the home. Under 38 U.S.C. 2101(b)(1), SHA is for veterans who are not eligible for SAH, so a veteran uses one grant or the other.

## How many times can a veteran use an SAH or SHA grant?

A veteran can draw on an SAH or SHA grant up to 6 times over a lifetime, and the statute says no veteran may receive more than six grants under the chapter (38 U.S.C. 2102(d)(3)).

## What is the TRA grant, and is it still available?

A Temporary Residence Adaptation grant pays to adapt a family member's home where an SAH- or SHA-eligible veteran is living temporarily. The veteran does not have to own the house, and the grant is limited to one residence (38 U.S.C. 2102A(c)).

TRA is a temporary authority that Congress renews. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 ([Pub. L. 119-103](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ103/html/PLAW-119publ103.htm), section 4307), signed September 2, 2026, extended it to December 11, 2026. Unless Congress extends it again, the VA cannot provide TRA assistance after that date (38 U.S.C. 2102A(e)).

## What does VA HISA pay for, and what does it exclude?

![A curbless shower with a fold-down slatted seat, an L-shaped grab bar, a hand-held shower on a slide bar and a curtain.](https://homeadaptguide.com/images/photos/rollin-shower-seat.webp)

*A roll-in shower with a fold-down seat and grab bars. The VA lists roll-in showers as an example of HISA work. Photo: [ironypoisoning](https://www.flickr.com/photos/22251936@N00/24200437151), CC BY-SA 2.0.*

HISA pays for improvements and structural alterations that are needed to continue home health treatment, or that give the veteran access to the home or to essential lavatory and sanitary facilities (38 CFR 17.3100). The regulation defines essential facilities as one bathroom with a toilet and a shower or bath, one kitchen and one laundry, and access to the home as being able to enter, exit and reach at least one bedroom and those facilities (38 CFR 17.3101).

The [VA HISA page](https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/psas/hisa2.asp) lists these uses:

- Entrance to or exit from the primary residence
- Essential lavatory and sanitary facilities, for example roll-in showers
- Access to kitchen or bathroom sinks or counters, for example lowered counters and sinks
- Permanent ramping on entrance paths or driveways in the immediate area of the home
- Plumbing or electrical work needed because of installed home medical equipment

HISA will not pay for walkways to exterior buildings, exterior decking, new construction, spas, hot tubs or Jacuzzi-type tubs, home security systems, removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides, or routine maintenance such as roof, furnace or air conditioner replacement.

![A kitchen sink in a granite counter with the cabinet below removed to leave open knee space, between two banks of drawers.](https://homeadaptguide.com/images/photos/lowered-sink.webp)

*A kitchen sink with open knee space below. Lowered counters and sinks are among the HISA uses the VA lists. Photo: [homesower](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68508469@N06/8394124620), CC BY 2.0.*

HISA sets no shower or bathroom dimensions. The VA prescription defines the project, and the VA page says the medical justification should show that "the beneficiary's clinical needs should support the type of home improvement or structural alterations being prescribed."

## Who is eligible for HISA, and how much can they get?

A veteran eligible for VA medical services under 38 U.S.C. 1710(a) can get HISA. So can a servicemember being medically discharged for a permanent disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty (38 CFR 17.3102).

The $6,800 lifetime limit applies when HISA addresses a service-connected disability, a disability treated "as if" service-connected under 38 U.S.C. 1710(a)(2)(C), or a non-service-connected disability for a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at least 50 percent. The VA HISA page adds that "no combining or combination of disability percentages is allowed." Every other eligible veteran has a $2,000 limit. Both figures apply to veterans who first applied on or after May 5, 2010 (38 CFR 17.3105).

A veteran can spread HISA over several projects until the lifetime amount runs out, and approved money left unspent goes back into the balance (38 CFR 17.3105(a) and 17.3130(c)(4)). A veteran who later gains service connection or a higher rating can apply for the $6,800 limit, minus what was already used (38 CFR 17.3105(e)).

## How do you apply for SAH, SHA and HISA?

SAH and SHA applications use [VA Form 26-4555](https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-26-4555/), filed online, by mail to the Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444, or in person at a VA regional office. The [VA how-to-apply page](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/how-to-apply/) asks for the veteran's Social Security number and VA file or claim number, and lists 877-827-3702 for help.

HISA applications go to the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service at the veteran's VA medical facility. Under 38 CFR 17.3120(a), a complete package has five parts:

1. A prescription written or approved by a VA physician, with the veteran's name, address and phone number, the prescribed alteration, and the diagnosis and medical justification. VA may obtain it for the veteran.
2. A completed and signed [VA Form 10-0103](https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10-0103/), including any request for advance payment.
3. A signed statement from the property owner authorizing the work, notarized if the veteran does not own the property.
4. A written itemized estimate for labor, materials, permits and inspections.
5. A color photograph of the unimproved area.

VA inspects the site, or decides an inspection is not needed, within 30 days of a complete application, and says whether it approves within 30 days of the application (38 CFR 17.3120(b) and 17.3125(b)). An incomplete package is closed if the missing papers do not arrive within 30 days of VA's notice, and can be reopened later.

## Can a veteran get both HISA and SHA?

Yes, eligibility for SHA does not block HISA. Under 38 U.S.C. 2104(b), a person eligible for an SHA grant "shall not by reason of such eligibility be denied" SAH benefits or home health benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1717(a)(2), which is the HISA authority. Section 2104(c) bars the VA from giving chapter 21 grant assistance that would duplicate another benefit under title 38, so the two cannot pay for the same work.

## What should a HISA application and payment request include?

The clinician and the contractor supply most of the papers below. Under 38 CFR 17.3120 and 17.3130:

- **Prescription scope:** the project description should name the area of the home, the type of modification, the alternatives considered and the items to be installed, as the VA HISA page lists.
- **Estimate:** itemize labor, materials, permits and inspections separately.
- **Before photo:** a color photograph of the unimproved area.
- **Renters:** the owner's signed, notarized authorization.
- **Approval notice:** VA's approval states the total amount authorized for the project (38 CFR 17.3125(b)). Price the work to that figure before starting.
- **Advance payment:** if requested on Form 10-0103, VA pays 50 percent of the authorized amount within 30 days of approval, once per application.
- **Final payment request:** within 60 days of approval, or of the advance payment, the veteran submits a statement that the work is complete, a color photo of the finished work and itemized actual costs.
- **Final inspection:** VA may inspect within 30 days of the final payment request, then pays the lesser of the approved amount or the actual cost, minus any advance.

If an inspection finds the work was not done, VA may recover the advance from the veteran. It will not do so where the veteran shows the project failed through the contractor's fault, including the contractor's bankruptcy or misconduct (38 CFR 17.3130(e)).

For VA SAH ramp specifications and how they compare with the ADA, see [wheelchair ramp requirements: ADA vs Canadian building codes](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-slope-width-landings/). For the US ramp rules in detail, see [wheelchair ramp requirements for homes in the US](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-requirements-us/), and for bathroom work, [grab bar height and placement](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/grab-bar-placement-height-us/).

## Common questions

### Can renters use HISA?

Yes. HISA applies to the veteran's primary residence, and 38 CFR 17.3120(a)(3) requires a signed statement from the property owner authorizing the work, notarized when the veteran is not the owner. SAH requires the veteran to own or will own the home; SHA allows a home owned by the veteran or a family member.

### Does HISA pay for a roll-in shower?

It can. The VA HISA page lists roll-in showers as an example of access to essential lavatory and sanitary facilities. The work must be prescribed or approved by a VA physician and counts against the veteran's lifetime limit.

## Sources

1. US Department of Veterans Affairs. [Disability housing grants for Veterans](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/), SAH, SHA and TRA amounts and qualifying disabilities. Checked October 2026.
2. US Department of Veterans Affairs. [How to apply for an adapted housing grant](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/how-to-apply/) and [VA Form 26-4555](https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-26-4555/). Checked October 2026.
3. US Department of Veterans Affairs. [Loan Guaranty: Assistance to Eligible Individuals in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing; Cost-of-Construction Index for Fiscal Year 2026](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-18/html/2025-20047.htm), 90 FR 51820, FR Doc. 2025-20047, November 18, 2025.
4. US Department of Veterans Affairs, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. [Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA)](https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/psas/hisa2.asp) and [VA Form 10-0103](https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10-0103/). Checked October 2026.
5. [38 CFR 17.3100 to 17.3130](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-17), Home Improvements and Structural Alterations, eCFR current to October 13, 2026.
6. [38 U.S.C. 1717, 2101, 2102, 2102A and 2104](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscode), United States Code, 2024 edition.
7. [Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ103/html/PLAW-119publ103.htm), Pub. L. 119-103, section 4307, September 2, 2026.

## How to cite this page

Home Adapt Guide Team. (2026, October 15). VA home modification grants: SAH, SHA, HISA and TRA amounts and eligibility. Home Adapt Guide. https://homeadaptguide.com/funding/va-home-modification-grants/