SAH, SHA, and HISA Grants 2026: $126,526 for Severely Disabled Veterans

If you have a severe service-connected disability that affects mobility, the VA pays for home modifications, sometimes for an entire home build. Three grants serve three tiers of need, with FY2026 amounts updated to reflect cost-of-living adjustments.

Quick Reference (FY2026 Amounts)

Veterans qualify for SAH or SHA, not both at once, and the gate runs in one direction only: under 38 CFR 3.809a(a) a veteran cannot take SHA while entitled to SAH, but a veteran who establishes SHA first and later becomes eligible for SAH may be issued the SAH certificate. Across the chapter a veteran may receive up to six grants (38 U.S.C. 2102(d)(3)). HISA is a separate benefit under 38 U.S.C. 1717 and is not counted against those six.

Six is a count, not a budget. The dollar ceilings are separate and still bind: 38 U.S.C. 2102(d) caps SAH assistance and SHA assistance independently, at statutory base figures of $98,492 and $19,733 that 2102(e) raises every 1 October by the residential cost-of-construction index. That indexing is where the FY2026 figures of $126,526 and $25,350 come from. Six uses means six draws within those caps, not six grants of $126,526.

SAH, Specially Adapted Housing Grant

VA program page

The big grant. SAH funds buying, building, or remodeling a home to accommodate a service-connected disability that includes:

The criteria are in 38 CFR 3.809(b), and all but the blindness route require the disability to be rated permanent and total:

• Loss or loss of use of both lower extremities, such as to preclude locomotion without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair (3.809(b)(1))
• Blindness in both eyes, with central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with a standard correcting lens, or a visual field whose widest diameter subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees (3.809(b)(2)). This route requires the disability to be permanent but not total, and it stands on its own: no limb involvement is needed
• Loss or loss of use of one lower extremity together with residuals of organic disease or injury that so affect balance or propulsion as to preclude locomotion without assistance (3.809(b)(3))
• Loss or loss of use of one lower extremity together with the loss or loss of use of one upper extremity that so affect balance or propulsion as to preclude locomotion without assistance (3.809(b)(4))
• Loss or loss of use of both upper extremities such as to preclude use of the arms at or above the elbow (3.809(b)(5))
• Full thickness or subdermal burns that have resulted in contractures with limitation of motion of two or more extremities, or of at least one extremity and the trunk (3.809(b)(6))
• Service-connected ALS rated 100 percent under diagnostic code 8017 satisfies 3.809(b) (3.809(d))

There is a further route under 38 U.S.C. 2101(a)(2)(B)(iii) for the loss or loss of use of one lower extremity after 11 September 2001 where you cannot balance or walk without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair. Congress capped it: only 120 veterans and service members per fiscal year may qualify on that basis. If you qualify but the cap is reached, you may receive the benefit in a later year.

Note that 5/200 is a different threshold for a different benefit. It is the visual acuity standard for Special Monthly Compensation under 38 CFR 3.350(b)(2), not for this grant.

Maximum: $126,526 for FY2026. Up to six uses across SAH and SHA combined.

You can use SAH for:

• Buying a home with adaptive features
• Building an adapted home from scratch
• Remodeling an existing home you own
• Buying an existing home and adding adaptations
• Modifying a home owned by a family member where you live (Temporary Residence Adaptation, TRA, separate cap)

SHA, Special Home Adaptation Grant

A smaller grant, and the one that applies when you are not entitled to SAH. Under 38 CFR 3.809a the disability must be rated permanently and totally disabling and must involve one of the following:

• Loss or loss of use of both hands
• Deep partial thickness burns that have caused contractures with limitation of motion of two or more extremities, or of at least one extremity and the trunk
• Full thickness or subdermal burns that have caused contractures with limitation of motion of one or more extremities or the trunk
• Residuals of an inhalation injury, which the regulation describes as including pulmonary fibrosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Two things that are commonly listed under SHA but belong to SAH instead: blindness with 20/200 visual acuity or less is an SAH criterion under 38 CFR 3.809(b)(2), and service-connected ALS rated 100 percent satisfies the SAH criteria under 38 CFR 3.809(d).

Maximum: $25,350 for FY2026. Up to six uses combined with SAH.

SHA can be used for:

• Buying or remodeling an existing home you own
• Buying an existing home and adapting it
• Adapting a home owned by a family member (TRA, separate cap)

You generally can't use SHA to build from scratch. SAH is the "build" grant; SHA is the "adapt" grant.

HISA, Home Improvements and Structural Alterations

HISA program info

HISA is the smaller, more accessible grant. It's administered through the VA Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service rather than the Loan Guaranty office.

Lifetime caps:

• $6,800 for service-connected veterans (any SC rating, even 0%)
• $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans

HISA covers structural changes that improve accessibility:

• Bathroom modifications (grab bars, roll-in shower, accessible toilet)
• Kitchen modifications (lowered counters, accessible cabinets)
• Entrance ramps
• Widened doorways
• Plumbing or electrical changes for medical equipment

Application is through your VA primary care provider, they refer you to a HISA-authorized contractor or coordinate the modification directly.

Stacking the Grants

You can combine SAH or SHA with HISA, they're administered by different offices and serve different purposes. A veteran with paraplegia building an accessible home might use:

• $126,526 from SAH for the build
• $6,800 from HISA for additional structural mods (e.g., a chair lift, additional bathroom modifications)

What you cannot do is get paid twice for the same work. 38 U.S.C. 2104(c) provides that the Secretary "may not provide assistance to a veteran under this chapter if the Secretary determines such assistance would result in a duplication of benefits under this title to the veteran." That is a bar on duplication, not a bar on using more than one program over time.

Worth knowing alongside it: 38 U.S.C. 2104(a) provides that accepting benefits under this chapter does not deny you the benefits of chapter 37, which is the VA home loan program. The grant and the loan are not an either-or choice. See using an SAH grant with a VA home loan.

Combining With a VA Home Loan

The grants stack with a VA-guaranteed home loan (see our VA Home Loan Center for eligibility and the COE). A veteran buying an adapted home can:

1. Use the VA loan guarantee to finance the purchase ($0 down, no PMI)
2. Use SAH funds to cover the adaptive features as a partial offset to the purchase price
3. Use HISA post-purchase for additional modifications

Grant funds are not a loan and are not repaid, so they do not add to the debt your lender underwrites. Exactly how the funds appear on your closing paperwork varies by lender and by which of the payment plans in 38 U.S.C. 2102(a) applies, so ask your loan officer and your assigned SAH agent to confirm the mechanics in writing before you are at the closing table.

How to Apply

Apply via VA Form 26-4555 (Application in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant) at VA.gov SAH application.

Required:

• Your VA disability rating decision letter (most recent)
• Description of the proposed property and adaptations
• Builder estimates if remodeling/building

A VA Specially Adapted Housing agent will be assigned and walk you through next steps. VA does not publish a processing time for these grants, and the timeline depends on the property, the plans and the agent’s review, so ask your agent what to expect rather than planning around a figure you read online.

TRA (Temporary Residence Adaptation)

If you live with a family member and need adaptations to their home, you can use a TRA, a smaller version of SAH or SHA. Caps:

• TRA under SAH: $50,961 (FY2026)
• TRA under SHA: $9,100 (FY2026)

TRAs are for veterans living temporarily with family while their own situation gets sorted (e.g., post-injury). The grant doesn't go to the family member, it pays for adaptations that revert to the family member's ownership.

Common Adaptations the Grants Cover

• Roll-in showers and accessible bathrooms
• Wheelchair ramps (interior and exterior)
• Widened doorways (36"+ clearance)
• Kitchen accessibility (lowered counters, pull-out shelves)
• Stairlifts and elevators
• Backup generators (medical equipment)
• Grab bars and railings
• Accessible flooring transitions
• Lift systems for transfers
• Adaptive bedroom modifications

What the Grants Don't Cover

• Pure aesthetic upgrades (kitchen renovation that isn't accessibility-driven)
• New construction beyond what's needed for accessibility
• Recreational features (pools, hot tubs)
• Vehicle modifications (those are covered under the Auto Allowance grant)

Auto Allowance (Bonus, Different Program)

Worth knowing about: veterans with certain service-connected conditions also get a one-time automobile allowance, plus an adaptive-equipment allowance for an adapted vehicle. Apply via VA Form 21-4502.

The amount is set by 38 U.S.C. 3902(a), which fixes it at the lesser of the purchase price or a statutory figure of $18,900 as adjusted, and 3902(e) raises that figure every 1 October by the increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers. VA does not publish the current amount on its automobile allowance page, so confirm the figure in force with VA or your VSO before you count on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between SAH and SHA?

SAH (Specially Adapted Housing) is the larger grant, up to $126,526 in FY2026, used to buy, build, or remodel a home for the most severe disabilities such as loss of use of both legs. SHA (Special Home Adaptation) is smaller, up to $25,350, and adapts an existing home for the loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or residuals of an inhalation injury. Blindness is an SAH criterion, not an SHA one. SAH is the "build" grant and SHA is the "adapt" grant. The relationship between them runs in one direction: under 38 CFR 3.809a(a) you cannot take SHA while you are entitled to SAH, but a veteran who established SHA first and later becomes eligible for SAH may be issued an SAH certificate. So you qualify under one at a time, and moving up from SHA to SAH is expressly allowed rather than barred.

How much is the SAH grant in 2026?

The maximum SAH grant for FY2026 is $126,526, available across up to six uses combined with SHA. The SHA grant is capped at $25,350 for FY2026.

Can I use a HISA grant and an SAH grant together?

Yes. HISA sits under 38 U.S.C. 1717, a different chapter from the housing grants, so the six-grant ceiling in 38 U.S.C. 2102(d)(3) does not reach it. 38 U.S.C. 2104(b) says it directly: a veteran eligible for SHA "shall not by reason of such eligibility be denied benefits for which such individual becomes eligible under section 2101(a) of this title or benefits relating to home health services under section 1717(a)(2) of this title." Section 1717(a)(2) is HISA.

One limit applies to both: under 38 U.S.C. 2104(c) VA will not pay in a way that duplicates a benefit you have already received, so the same adaptation will not be funded twice.

Do the housing grants work with a VA home loan?

Yes. The grants stack with a VA-guaranteed home loan. Grant funds are not a loan and are not repaid, so they do not add to the debt your lender underwrites. How they appear on your closing paperwork varies by lender, so confirm the mechanics with your loan officer and your assigned SAH agent in advance. 38 U.S.C. 2104(a) is the provision that keeps accepting a grant from costing you your chapter 37 home loan benefits.

How do I apply for the SAH or SHA grant?

Apply with VA Form 26-4555 at VA.gov. You will need your most recent VA disability rating decision letter, a description of the property and proposed adaptations, and builder estimates if remodeling or building. A VA Specially Adapted Housing agent is assigned to guide you. VA does not publish a processing time for these grants, so ask your assigned agent what to expect in your case.

Related

• VA Home Loan Center, eligibility, COE, IRRRL, foreclosure help
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