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VA housing grants pay to make a home work for a veteran with a serious service-connected disability. The money can go toward buying a home that is already adapted, building one, or changing the home you have, for example by adding ramps, widening doorways or rebuilding a bathroom. There are three grants, and which one fits depends on your disability and whether you own the home.
The short version
- Specially Adapted Housing (SAH): up to $126,526 for fiscal year 2026, mainly for loss or loss of use of limbs, blindness in both eyes, or certain severe burns.
- Special Home Adaptation (SHA): up to $25,350 for fiscal year 2026, for loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain breathing injuries.
- Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA): for changes to a family member’s home you are living in for now.
- You can use a grant up to six times over your lifetime, so you do not have to spend it all at once.
- Apply online or with VA Form 26-4555.
On this page
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH)
The SAH grant is the larger of the two. It is for buying, building or changing your permanent home, the one you plan to live in for a long time. You must own the home or be going to own it, and you need one of these service-connected disabilities:
- Loss, or loss of use, of more than one limb
- Loss, or loss of use, of a lower leg together with the lasting effects of a natural 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, so that you cannot balance or walk without braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair
That last category has a limit set by Congress: only 120 veterans and service members can qualify on that basis in each fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30. If you qualify but the year’s 120 places are used, you may be able to get the grant in a later year.
For fiscal year 2026 the SAH grant pays up to $126,526.
Special Home Adaptation (SHA)
The SHA grant is smaller and has different qualifying disabilities. It is also for your permanent home, but the home can be owned by you or by a family member. You need one of these service-connected disabilities:
- Loss, or loss of use, of both hands
- Certain severe burns
- Certain breathing or respiratory injuries
For fiscal year 2026 the SHA grant pays up to $25,350.
Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA)
If you qualify for SAH or SHA but are living for now in a family member’s home, a TRA grant can pay to change that home. You do not have to own it.
| If you qualify for | TRA pays up to (FY 2026) |
|---|---|
| SAH | $50,961 |
| SHA | $9,100 |
How the money works
You do not have to use the whole grant at once. VA lets you draw on an SAH or SHA grant up to six times over your lifetime, taking as much or as little as each project needs. VA adjusts the maximum each year based on construction costs, and the maximum that applies is the one in effect in the last year you use the grant.
The figures on this page are the fiscal year 2026 amounts VA has published. A new fiscal year starts each October 1, so check VA.gov for the latest maximums before you plan a project.
How to apply for a housing grant
- Make sure your qualifying disability is service connected. If it is not yet, that claim comes first. See how to file a VA disability claim.
- Apply online at VA.gov, or fill out VA Form 26-4555, Application in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant.
- Mail the form to the VA Claims Intake Center (the address is on the form), or take it to a VA regional office.
Have your Social Security number and your VA file or claim number ready. VA sends a decision letter, and you can follow the claim’s status on VA.gov.
VA also publishes a design handbook, A Guide for Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation Projects, which is worth reading before you talk to a builder.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you have to spend it all now. The grant can be used up to six times. Plan the work you need today without worrying about losing the rest.
- Applying before the disability is rated. The grant depends on a service-connected disability. Get that decided first.
- Not checking the other grants. A veteran who qualifies for housing grants often also qualifies for the automobile allowance and for special monthly compensation.
Related benefits
- VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment
- Special monthly compensation, extra pay for loss of use of limbs and other serious disabilities
- Permanent and total disability and the family benefits it opens
- State veteran benefits, including property tax exemptions
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.