VA Grants: HISA vs. SHA vs. SAH
VA HISA vs. SHA vs. SAH: Which Grant Actually Covers What
A clear breakdown of the three VA home modification grants — including 2026 amounts, eligibility rules, and how to know which one fits your situation.
If you're a veteran trying to fund home accessibility work, the VA offers three separate grant programs that sound almost identical: HISA, SHA, and SAH. They have different acronyms, different dollar amounts, different eligibility rules, and — critically — different application processes.
Most contractor websites skip the differences and just tell you "we accept VA benefits." That's not helpful when you're trying to figure out which grant actually applies to your situation.
This post breaks down all three, using the current Fiscal Year 2026 amounts, so you can identify the right one before you call anyone.
- HISA is the smallest and most accessible. Covers medically necessary home modifications, even for non-service-connected conditions. Up to $6,800 (service-connected) or $2,000 (non-service-connected), lifetime.
- SHA is the middle tier. For veterans with specific qualifying service-connected disabilities. Up to $25,350 for FY 2026.
- SAH is the largest. For veterans with the most severe service-connected disabilities. Up to $126,526 for FY 2026.
If you don't know which one applies to you, keep reading. The difference between a $2,000 grant and a $126,526 grant comes down to specific clinical criteria — and most veterans qualify for at least one.
HISA — Home Improvements and Structural Alterations
What it is: HISA is a medical-benefit grant administered through your local VA medical center's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS). It pays for permanent modifications that a VA physician has prescribed as medically necessary.
What it covers
- Roll-in showers and walk-in tubs
- Grab bars and handrails
- Widened doorways
- Entry ramps
- Raised toilets and accessible sinks
- Non-slip flooring
Key advantages
- You don't need a service-connected disability. HISA is the only VA home modification grant available to veterans whose qualifying condition isn't tied to military service.
- Renters can qualify with the landlord's written permission.
- Faster processing than SAH or SHA — often weeks rather than months.
- You can split the benefit across multiple projects over your lifetime, up to the cap.
How to apply
Submit VA Form 10-0103 through your local VA medical center's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. The application package must include a prescription from your VA physician describing the modification and the medical need, plus a written cost estimate from a contractor.
HISA policy technically excludes "removable equipment" including stair glides. In practice, coverage interpretation varies by local PSAS office. We break this down in detail in our Southern California Veteran's Guide.
SHA — Special Home Adaptation Grant
What it is: SHA is a larger grant for veterans with specific permanent and total service-connected disabilities. Unlike HISA, which funds individual modifications, SHA funds more comprehensive home adaptations.
Who qualifies
You must have a permanent service-connected disability that includes one of:
- Blindness in both eyes (visual acuity of 20/200 or less)
- Loss or loss of use of both hands
- Severe burn injuries (deep partial thickness or worse) from service on or after September 11, 2001
- Certain respiratory or breathing injuries related to service
What it covers
- Roll-in showers and accessible bathrooms
- Kitchen adaptations
- Ramps and entry modifications
- Widened hallways and doorways
- Stair lifts (explicitly eligible under SHA — unlike HISA, where coverage is ambiguous)
- Other structural modifications for accessibility
Key advantages
- Higher funding cap than HISA allows for more substantial scope of work.
- Can be used up to six times across your lifetime, as long as you don't exceed the total statutory cap.
- Stair lifts are explicitly covered — which makes SHA the better path for most veterans needing stair access restored.
- Can be used on a home owned by a family member if you live there indefinitely.
How to apply
Submit VA Form 26-4555 through the VA Regional Loan Center. Processing typically takes 60–90 days. Once approved, the VA assigns a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Agent to your case who manages the project through completion.
For SHA work, you must use a contractor with a VA Builder ID — the VA does not release funds to unregistered contractors.
SAH — Specially Adapted Housing Grant
What it is: SAH is the largest VA housing grant. It's designed for veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities severe enough that the home essentially needs to be rebuilt around the disability.
Who qualifies
You must have a permanent and total service-connected disability that includes one of:
- Loss or loss of use of both legs
- Loss or loss of use of both arms at or above the elbow
- Blindness in both eyes plus loss or loss of use of one leg
- Loss or loss of use of one lower extremity with residuals of organic disease or injury that affects balance or movement
- Loss or loss of use of one lower extremity after September 11, 2001, requiring braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair
- Severe burns (deep partial thickness or worse) affecting 30% or more of the body or 30% or more of the face
- Service-connected ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
What it covers
- Building a new specially adapted home
- Buying a home already adapted for accessibility
- Remodeling an existing home for full accessibility
- Paying down a mortgage on an already-adapted home
- All the modifications covered by SHA, at a larger scale
Key advantages
- Substantially higher funding cap enables major construction or comprehensive remodel.
- Can be used up to six times across your lifetime.
- TRA supplement available — if you're temporarily living with a family member while your adapted home is being built or modified, you can receive up to $50,961 (SAH-eligible) or $9,100 (SHA-eligible) for temporary adaptations to that home.
How to apply
Same process as SHA — VA Form 26-4555, filed through the VA Regional Loan Center. An SAH Agent is assigned to guide you through design and construction. Processing takes 60–90 days.
VA Builder ID requirement applies — SAH work must be done by a VA-registered contractor.
Which grant is right for you?
Here's the shortest decision path:
- Do you have a service-connected disability? If no, you're looking at HISA only.
- Do you have severe service-connected mobility or vision loss? If yes — specifically, conditions like loss of both legs, both arms, full blindness, ALS, or severe extensive burns — you likely qualify for SAH.
- Do you have service-connected disabilities affecting hands, vision, or from post-9/11 severe burns? You likely qualify for SHA.
- Do you have smaller-scale modification needs and a medical prescription from your VA doctor? HISA is probably your path — and it's faster and simpler than SAH/SHA.
If you qualify for SAH or SHA, you can also use HISA for smaller ongoing modifications. They're not mutually exclusive.
The process matters as much as the amount
A common mistake is focusing only on the dollar cap. In practice, the process is just as important:
- HISA moves through your VA medical center's Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service. Your VA doctor's prescription drives the application. It's a medical pathway.
- SHA and SAH move through the VA Regional Loan Center with an assigned SAH Agent. Your disability rating drives eligibility. It's a benefits pathway.
These are different offices with different staff and different timelines. A veteran seeking HISA doesn't apply to the SAH Agent; a veteran seeking SAH doesn't apply to PSAS. Knowing which door to knock on saves months.
What about temporary residence?
If you're living temporarily in a family member's home — for example, while your permanent home is being adapted or built — the Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant funds modifications to that temporary residence. TRA is a supplement to SAH or SHA, not a standalone grant:
- SAH-eligible: Up to $50,961 TRA benefit for FY 2026
- SHA-eligible: Up to $9,100 TRA benefit for FY 2026
TRA cannot be used if you're not already eligible for SAH or SHA.
Next steps
If you're not sure which grant applies to your situation, start with your VA disability rating decision letter — it will indicate which housing grants you're eligible for. If you've never been evaluated, or if your condition has changed, reach out to your VA primary care physician or a Veterans Service Officer (VSO). VSOs help you navigate the application paperwork at no cost.
At Ace Access Homes, we work with veterans across Southern California on HISA, SHA, and SAH-funded projects. We help you understand which grant fits your situation, coordinate with your VA doctor and SAH Agent, and handle the contractor-side paperwork and VA Builder ID requirements.
Let's talk through your situation.
We offer a free in-home assessment for veterans and families. No pressure, no overselling — just an honest read on what your home needs and which VA grant pathway makes sense.
Learn About Our Services for Veterans- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Disability Housing Grants (va.gov)
- Federal Register — Loan Guaranty: Assistance to Eligible Individuals in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing; Cost-of-Construction Index for Fiscal Year 2026 (Docket No. VA-2025-VACO-0002)
- Congressional Research Service — Department of Veterans Affairs Housing Grants (November 2025)
This post is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal, financial, or VA-benefits advice. Grant amounts and eligibility rules are current as of FY 2026 and subject to annual adjustment. Always verify current information with the VA or your assigned SAH Agent before making decisions.
