Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may qualify for a VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant of up to $126,526 or a Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant of up to $25,350 for fiscal year 2026. The smaller HISA benefit, $6,800 or $2,000 for life, does not pay for porch lifts or stair glides.
Please read
General information only, not medical, legal or financial advice. Programme rules and amounts change. Check with the programme itself before you rely on anything here, and never assume you qualify until the programme tells you so.
Which VA grants can help adapt a home?
| Benefit | Maximum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) | $126,526 | Qualifying service-connected disability; own or will own the home |
| Special Home Adaptation (SHA) | $25,350 | Qualifying service-connected disability |
| TRA (SAH-eligible) | $50,961 | Adapting a family member's home you live in temporarily |
| TRA (SHA-eligible) | $9,100 | Adapting a family member's home you live in temporarily |
| HISA | $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime | Needs a VA physician's prescription; excludes porch lifts and stair glides |
Who can get an SAH or SHA grant?
The VA lists qualifying service-connected disabilities for each grant. For SAH they include the loss, or loss of use, of more than one limb, and you must own or will own the home. For SHA they include the loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns and certain respiratory injuries.[1] Read the full lists on the VA page and ask the VA to confirm eligibility.
How much can you get, and how often?
For fiscal year 2026 the SAH grant pays up to $126,526 and the SHA grant up to $25,350.[1] You can use the grant money up to six times over your lifetime.[1]
What does HISA pay for, and what not?
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) is a lifetime benefit: $6,800 for a service-connected disability and some related cases, and $2,000 otherwise.[2] An application needs a prescription written or approved by a VA physician.[2] The VA lists items HISA will not pay for, including removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides.[2] So HISA is not the route for a stair lift or porch lift.
What this means for you
If the person who needs the lift is a veteran with a service-connected disability, talk to the VA about SAH or SHA before you sign a quote, and keep the adaptation plan and any approval in writing.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use a VA grant for a stair lift?
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants pay for adapting a home for eligible veterans; ask the VA whether a lift fits your adaptation plan.
Can I use the grant on a family member's home?
The Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant can help adapt a family member's home you are living in temporarily: up to $50,961 if you qualify for SAH and up to $9,100 if you qualify for SHA in FY 2026.
Do I have to spend the grant all at once?
No. The VA says eligible veterans can use the grant money up to six times over their lifetime.
Sources
- Disability housing grants for Veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed October 28, 2026.
