A Primer on VA Specially Adapted Housing Grants and Handicap Accessibility Contractors

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers grants to service members and veterans with injuries that inhibit their mobility or use of their limbs, or for other serious injuries such as blindness or severe burns. There are two VA housing grants that differ in their benefits and the injuries that qualify one to receive them. In this post, we will discuss who’s eligible to receive these grants, and how to go about applying for them. First, a rundown on the two grants.

Specially Adapted Housing Grant

• Payout:
  The maximum payout for the Specially Adapted Housing grant (SAH) is established by law—this year, it’s just over $81,000, and it can change from year to year. This grant is to be used to perform work on an existing home, to help buy adapted housing or to buy and perform work on a new home. Work can be contracted to a handicap accessibility contractor in Pennsylvania or wherever you live. Any eligible service member may receive the SAH grant a maximum of three times. There’s also a temporary SAH grant that is available four service members who are temporarily living with a family member, which allows for the updating of the family member’s home to make it more livable for the service member, until the service member can find housing for themselves. The maximum for the temporary grant is just over $35,000.
• Eligibility:
  The injuries that qualify a service member for an SAH grant include the loss of use of both legs, the loss of use of both arms, the loss of use of one arm and one leg, the loss of use of one leg with other injuries or disease, or severe enough burns to make movement difficult. Also, service members who joined after or on September 11, 2001 who suffer from the loss of one leg, but are otherwise healthy, except for being unable to balance without the aid of a cane or crutches, are eligible for an SAH. However, only 30 of these SAH grants are given out per year, and these have already been allocated for this year.
• Apply:
  To apply, go to www.ebenefits.va.gov.

The Special Housing Adaption Grant (SHA)

• Payout:
  The SHA pays out a maximum of just over $16,000 per year, and can be disbursed a maximum of three times per individual. There is also a temporary grant available for outfitting a family member’s home while the service member lives there and looks for their own housing. The maximum amount for this temporary SHA grant is just over $6,000.
• Eligibility:
  Service members and veterans with blindness in both eyes, loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain severe injuries to their respiratory system qualify for the SHA.
• Apply:
  Both grants can be applied for at the same website—www.ebenefits.va.gov. For assistance applying for either grant, the VA offers a phone number you can call: (877) 827-3702.

Talk to a handicap accessibility contractor in Pennsylvania

Using these grants, service members can secure the independence they deserve. We here at WSL Incorporated work with veterans using adapted living grants all the time to help build barrier-free homes, designed to make their lives easier and happier. We’re a trusted handicap accessibility contractor in Pennsylvania. Whether you want to build a custom home or adapt an existing home, we have the vision, expertise and experience to help you live the life you deserve in a home you’ll love. Give us a call today to learn more.