VA SHA and HISA Grants Explained

SHA and HISA Are Different Benefits

VA also offers the larger Specially Adapted Housing grant, or SAH. For fiscal year 2026, VA lists up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA. A Temporary Residence Adaptation grant, or TRA, may help an SAH- or SHA-eligible person modify a family member’s home where the person is living temporarily. Review the VA housing grant rules for the different disability tests and current TRA limits.

How the VA SHA Grant Works

Type of help: True federal housing adaptation grant. SHA does not create a mortgage or routine repayment schedule. VA approves it for a qualifying disability and an eligible home adaptation purpose.

Who May Qualify for SHA

VA says both of these conditions must be met:

• The grant will be used to buy, build, or change a permanent home.
• The Veteran, service member, or a family member owns or will own that home.
• The applicant has a qualifying service-connected disability.

The current list includes loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, and certain respiratory or breathing injuries. A disability rating alone does not guarantee SHA. Ordinary upkeep, cosmetic work, and unrelated repairs do not qualify.

How Much SHA Can Pay

For fiscal year 2026, the maximum SHA amount is $25,350. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. VA may adjust the maximum in later years based on construction costs.

An eligible person may use SAH or SHA funds up to six times over a lifetime, while staying within the applicable total. The full amount does not have to be used at once.

How to Apply for SHA

Use VA Form 26-4555, Application in Acquiring Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant. VA allows three application routes:

• Online: Use the VA adapted housing application.
• By mail: Send the completed form to Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.
• In person: Take the form to a VA regional office.

The official SHA application instructions say to have the Social Security number and VA file or claim number, if there is one. For benefits questions, call 1-800-827-1000 or use 711 for telecommunications relay service.

How the VA HISA Benefit Works

Type of help: VA health care monetary benefit for an approved home alteration. HISA is not a general grant, home repair loan, or automatic reimbursement. The alteration must be medically necessary and reasonably designed for the beneficiary and the home.

Who May Qualify for HISA

Under the HISA eligibility rule, an eligible person may be:

• A Veteran eligible for medical services under the cited VA health law.
• A service member undergoing medical discharge for a permanent disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty while receiving qualifying care.

The project must support home health treatment or provide access to the primary residence or essential facilities. A rented or family-owned home may qualify with proper owner authorization.

The HISA lifetime limit rule sets these main amounts for people who first applied on or after May 5, 2010:

• $6,800 lifetime: For a service-connected disability, a qualifying disability treated as service connected, or a non-service-connected disability when the Veteran has one service-connected disability rated at least 50%.
• $2,000 lifetime: For another eligible disability not covered by the higher category.

Earlier HISA projects reduce the balance. Ask local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service to confirm the amount left.

What HISA May Cover

The national VA HISA program page lists medically necessary work such as:

• Permanent changes that allow entrance to or exit from the primary residence.
• Access to one essential bathroom, including a roll-in shower or related structural change.
• Lowered or accessible kitchen and bathroom sinks or counters.
• A permanent ramp or immediate entrance path needed to reach the home.
• Plumbing or electrical changes required by installed home medical equipment.

HISA normally excludes exterior decking, spas, security systems, portable ramps, porch lifts, stair glides, new construction, and routine roof, furnace, or air-conditioner replacement. Ask PSAS whether excluded equipment fits another VA benefit.

HISA Application Package and Deadlines

Start with the VA care team and local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. Use the current VA Form 10-0103. The form repository lists a February 2025 revision date.

The federal HISA application rule requires a complete package with:

• A prescription written or approved by a VA physician that identifies the alteration, diagnosis, and medical reason.
• A signed VA Form 10-0103, including an advance-payment request if desired.
• A signed owner statement authorizing the work. It must be notarized when the beneficiary is not the owner.
• An itemized written estimate for labor, materials, permits, and inspections.
• A color photograph of the area before improvement.

VA must inspect the site or decide no inspection is needed within 30 days after receiving a complete application. If documents are missing, VA gives notice. The file may close if the items are not received within 30 days, but it can be reopened with the requested and updated information.

The HISA approval rule requires a decision notice within 30 days after a complete application. An approval states the authorized amount and any advance.

Under the HISA payment rule, an approved advance is 50% of the authorized project benefit. VA sends it no later than 30 days after approval. The final payment request is due within 60 days after approval, or within 60 days after the advance when an advance was paid. The final request must include a completion statement, a color photo of the finished work, and itemized actual costs.

Which Program Should You Ask About?

• Ask about SHA when a qualifying service-connected disability requires a permanent housing adaptation and the Veteran or a family member owns or will own the home.
• Ask about HISA when a medical need requires a structural change to the primary residence for treatment, entry, movement inside the home, or essential facilities.
• Ask about SAH when the service-connected disability may fit VA’s more severe SAH categories.
• Ask about TRA when an SAH- or SHA-eligible person is temporarily living in a family member’s home.
• Ask about another VA prosthetics benefit when the need is removable equipment, a stair glide, porch lift, portable ramp, or another item excluded from HISA construction coverage.

Describe the barrier, not only the acronym. “I cannot enter my home with my wheelchair” is more useful than “I need a grant.”

Documents and Contractor Bids to Gather

Make the first call, ask what is required, and collect the records that fit your path:

• Veteran or service member’s full name, date of birth, address, and phone number.
• Social Security number and VA file or claim number, if available.
• VA disability decision or benefit letter for a housing grant request.
• Medical prescription, therapy assessment, clinical note, or care-team message for HISA.
• A short list of barriers, such as steps, narrow doors, an unusable tub, unsafe transfers, or equipment needs.
• Clear color photos showing the existing condition and surrounding area.
• Deed, lease, or other proof of residence and ownership.
• Notarized owner authorization when the HISA applicant is not the owner.
• Itemized contractor estimates that separate labor, materials, permits, inspections, and optional work.
• Contractor license, insurance, references, warranty, and proposed payment schedule.

Use our repair document checklist for a broader filing system. The home repair application guide also explains photos, estimates, inspections, and recordkeeping.

What Happens After You Apply

SHA: VA sends a decision letter. If approved, follow VA instructions before purchasing a home, signing a construction contract, changing the scope, or starting work. Certain claim statuses can be checked through VA.gov.

HISA: Local staff review the medical need, form, permission, estimate, photo, and project. VA may inspect before approval and again before final payment.

Report permit delays, material problems, or contractor misconduct promptly. For HISA, send a written update before a deadline passes.

Use the VA facility locator to find a medical center, regional office, or local contact. The national PSAS page also directs individual eligibility questions to the local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.

If You Are Denied, Delayed, or Asked for More Proof

Read the entire letter or secure message. Identify whether the problem is basic eligibility, medical need, ownership, missing documents, project design, cost, contractor information, or a missed deadline.

For a HISA denial, closure, or reduced award, ask the issuing VA medical facility for the exact review or appeal instructions shown in the notice. Health care benefit appeals may not appear in the same online status system used for other VA claims.

For a VA benefit decision, the main review paths may include a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board Appeal. The correct route, form, and deadline depend on the decision. Start with the official VA decision review page. Do not assume every HISA issue uses the same route as a SHA claim.

An accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, attorney, or claims agent can help. VA states that accredited VSO claim help is free. Use the accredited representative search instead of paying an unverified “VA consultant.”

Our focused guide on a denied VA modification provides more steps for reading the notice, fixing evidence, and protecting deadlines.

Backup Help if VA Does Not Cover Everything

HISA may not cover the full project, while SHA has narrower disability rules. Ask about separate help for unfunded work, but never seek duplicate payment for the same cost.

• VA social work and rehabilitation: Ask the medical center about social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy, caregiver support, prosthetics, and local referrals.
• Vocational rehabilitation: Some people may have a work-related rehabilitation path. See our guide to vocational rehabilitation modifications.
• Medicaid long-term services: A state Home and Community-Based Services program may cover approved accessibility changes for an eligible enrollee. Review Medicaid waiver modifications.
• Veteran repair nonprofits: Local affiliates may offer repairs or access changes, but funding and service areas vary. See Habitat and Rebuilding Together.
• Local housing repair programs: Cities and counties may offer a grant, deferred loan, forgivable loan, or rehabilitation service. Income, ownership, lien, and waitlist rules are common.
• Aging and disability agencies: The Eldercare Locator connects older adults and caregivers with local agencies. Call 1-800-677-1116.
• Local referrals: 211 may identify area repair, ramp, disability, utility, or nonprofit programs. It is a referral service, not a guarantee of funding.

For general non-VA options, use our home repair assistance guide and repair starting guide.

Scams, Loans, and Contractor Warnings

Past VA work or a VA builder number is not a quality guarantee. Check license, insurance, complaints, permits, references, and contract terms.

Do not make full payment before work begins. Do not allow a contractor to change the scope without written VA approval when VA is paying. Keep all checks, receipts, photos, change orders, inspection results, and messages.

The Federal Trade Commission warns about pressure sales, large upfront demands, leftover-material stories, and contractors who tell the homeowner to pull permits. Review the FTC contractor warning before signing.

Financing can create a second problem. A home equity loan, property-assessed charge, dealer loan, or lien may continue even if VA later denies the project. Do not sign financing based only on a contractor’s statement that “VA will reimburse you.”