Specially Adapted Housing Grants Help Disabled Veterans Live Independently

Specially Adapted Housing Grants Help Disabled Veterans Live Independently

There’s more to the VA Home Loan program than just the loan itself. Veterans with service-connected disabilities are often eligible for additional assistance through programs such as Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH).

These Veteran housing grants help severely disabled Veterans pay for modifications and adaptations to their homes which help improve quality of life and increase the possibility for independent living. Recently, changes have been made to laws which govern the SAH grant program, providing the VA with greater ability to fund it.

These changes include:

• Service-connected blindness is now a qualifying disability for the VA adaptive housing grant.
• The VA Housing Grants can now be used six times per qualified individual, up from the original limit of three times.
• The number of available grants has increased fourfold from 30 to 120 per year.

These VA home improvement grants can provide up to $100,800 in assistance per individual. What’s great is that if the adaptations required cost less than this amount, any funding leftover is available for use at a later date (up to six times).

Qualifying service-connected disabilities for the VA Adaptive Housing Grant include:

• Loss or loss of use of more than one limb
• Loss or loss of use of lower leg in addition to long-term effects of another disease or injury
• Blindness in both eyes
• Certain severe burns
• Loss or loss of use of a lower extremity which makes walking without assistive equipment problematic

Housing grants for disabled Veterans can be a game changer. If you or someone you know may qualify, visit the Housing Assistance section of the VA’s website for more information. 

Veterans can apply for the SAH Grant online by logging into the VA’s eBenefits website. Alternately, applications are accepted via mail. Simply complete form VA Form 26-4555 and send to the nearest regional loan center. Applications are reviewed upon receipt and a letter informing applicants of the decision will be mailed to the address provided.