Who qualifies: Veterans and service members with certain severe service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of limbs, blindness, certain burns, or certain breathing injuries.
What it is
VA offers grants that help veterans with severe disabilities make a home work for them. Think ramps, wider doors, roll-in showers, lower counters, and more. There are three types:
- Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) for the most serious mobility-related disabilities
- Special Home Adaptation (SHA) for certain other disabilities
- Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) if you are living for a while in a family member's home
These are grants, not loans. You do not pay them back.
Who qualifies
SAH may be available if you own or will own the home and have a service-connected disability such as:
- Loss or loss of use of more than one limb
- Loss or loss of use of a lower leg along with certain other conditions
- Blindness in both eyes
- Certain severe burns
- Loss or loss of use of one leg after September 11, 2001, that keeps you from walking or balancing without help (this category has a yearly cap on how many people VA can approve)
SHA may be available if you or a family member owns the home and you have loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain breathing injuries.
TRA is for veterans who qualify for SAH or SHA and are living temporarily in a family member's home. You do not need to own it.
How much it pays
For fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026), the maximums were:
- SAH: up to $126,526
- SHA: up to $25,350
- TRA: up to $50,961 with SAH eligibility, or $9,100 with SHA eligibility
VA adjusts these each October based on building costs. Check the official page for the current year's limits.
How it works when you are relocating
This benefit was made for people who move. You can use the grant up to six times in your lifetime, up to the dollar limit. That means you might use part of it on your current home and save the rest for your next one. If you are planning a move, talk to a VA SAH agent early. They can help you judge whether a new home can be adapted before you buy.
You can also pair SAH with a VA home loan to buy or build a home that is already set up for you.
How to apply
- Apply online on VA.gov, by mail, or at a VA regional office using form 26-4555.
- VA reviews your eligibility based on your rating.
- A VA SAH agent visits to talk through your needs and the home.
- You choose a builder or contractor and get plans and cost estimates.
- VA approves the plans and pays out the grant as work is done.
Common mistakes
- Starting work before VA approves the plans. Costs may not be covered.
- Assuming it is one-time only. You have up to six uses.
- Forgetting TRA if you are staying with parents or other family during recovery or a move.
- Hiring a builder with no experience in accessible design.
Related benefits
Look at the VA home loan (often with no funding fee for disabled veterans), the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant through VA health care, the automobile allowance, and state property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.
Want the full VA loan playbook, with payment and funding fee calculators? Visit VALoanBenefit.com.
Last reviewed November 2026. WeSpeakVA is not the VA. Rules and amounts change, so confirm on VA.gov or with an accredited representative.