By Curtis L. Coy
Colleagues and Fellow Veterans: Are you a Veteran with a severe service-connected disability that affects your mobility? Do you know someone who is?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers the Specially Adapted Housing program, designed to help severely disabled Veterans and Servicemembers purchase or construct an adapted home, or modify an existing home to accommodate a disability. Two grant programs exist: the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant and the Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant.
We want to ensure anyone who might qualify knows about this program.
The SAH grant is designed to help disabled Veterans and Servicemembers by providing a barrier-free living environment, such as a wheelchair accessible home, that affords Veterans a level of independent living they may not otherwise enjoy. Veterans and Servicemembers with specific service-connected disabilities (including loss/loss of use of both lower extremities) may be entitled to a grant for the purpose of constructing or modifying a home to meet their adaptive needs, up to the current maximum of $70,465.
The SHA grant can be used to increase the mobility of eligible Veteran and Servicemembers throughout their residences. Veterans and Servicemembers with specific service-connected disabilities (including severe visual impairment or loss/loss of use of both hands) may be entitled to this type of grant, up to the current maximum of $14,093.
For those who do not yet own a home, a temporary grant may be available to SAH/SHA eligible Veterans and Servicemembers who are or will be temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member. The maximum amount available to adapt a family member’s home for the SAH grant is $30,934 and for the SHA grant is $5,523.
VA has staff located nationwide to assist individuals in applying for and receiving these grants. You can find more detailed information about qualifying disabilities here: http://benefits.va.gov/homeloans/adaptedhousing.asp, and you can find contact information for an SAH Agent in your area here: http://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/contact_agents.asp.
Each Veteran’s housing/living needs are as unique as their physical disabilities. The Specially Adapted Housing program provides hands-on, personalized, customized service to severely disabled Veterans seeking home adaptations.
Other quick reference information can be found on our SAH graphic at: http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/infographics/special_adaptive_housing.html#sthash.fO5MRl0b.dpbs. Please feel free to use this in your newsletters, community spaces or publications.
If you have any questions, please email sahinfo. <>.
V/R
Curtis L. Coy
Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity
Veterans Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
*VA Core Values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence (“I CARE”)*
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